Preventive and antioxidant effects of bovine colostrum lyophilized powder from different postpartum periods against acute liver injury

This study evaluated the preventive effect of lyophilized bovine colostrum powder1 (LBC) collected at different postpartum stages (days 1–7) on acute liver injury induced by alcohol in mice. It was found that the relatively desirable collection window was during the first three days postpartum (D1–D3). During this period, the content of growth factors in LBC reached its peak. By enhancing antioxidant capacity (increasing SOD, CAT, and GPx activities and reducing MDA), inhibiting inflammatory responses (lowering ALT, AST, TG, and TNF-α, IL-6 levels), and significantly restoring the activities of hepatic alcohol-metabolizing enzymes (with ALDH activity exceeding that of the positive control drug), liver tissue damage can be effectively alleviated. The findings suggest that LBC collected within 3 days postpartum exhibits notable hepatoprotective effects, indicating its potential as a promising raw material source for the development of hepatoprotective functional foods.