Bioactive Compounds of Colostrum and Its Application

Colostrum is the initial milk secreted by bovine during parturition and the first few days after birth. Colostrum is a gift of nature used to protect the newborn’s immune system and provides passive immunity against pathogens. The presence of bioactive components such as insulin-like growth factor I and II (IGF-I and IGF-II), lactoferrin, lysozyme, lactoperoxidase, and immunoglobulin make the colostrum active against pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Shigella dysenteria, Listeria monocytogens, Streptococcus mutans, Bacillus stearothermophilus, and Bacillus subtilis. It is also active against Herpes simple virus type-I (HSV-I), Human Immuno-deficiency virus-I (HIV-I), and human cytomegalovirus. Lysozyme is an antibacterial and lytic enzyme; whereas lactoperoxidase is a major antibacterial found in colostrum; it is toxic to gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Lactoperoxidase inactivates the polio virus, vaccinia, and human immunodeficiency virus type-I in-vitro. Immunoglobulins are considered an important bioactive component in colostrum, and it contains high levels of immunoglobulin G (Ig G). Immunosupplementation with bovine milk antibodies has been shown to provide local protection to the gastrointestinal tract against disease. The restricted technical and hygienic problems, along with the unstable physio-chemical nature of colostrum, has resulted in minimal utilization of colostrum on Industrial scale.