Lactoferrin is a milk protein that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties. Previous studies indicated that supplemental lactoferrin may alter the microbial populations in the gut of nonruminants and increase preweaning weight gains in calves. In the present study, 40 Holstein calves were used to examine the effects of supplemental lactoferrin (0, 1, 2, or 3 g/d) on health, growth, and feed intake from 3 d of age to 2 wk postweaning. Lactoferrin was mixed and fed with a nonmedicated milk replacer. Calves were housed in individual pens and offered a textured, nonmedicated starter and water for ad libitum consumption. Body weight and heart girth were measuredweekly. Intakes of milk replacer and starter were determined daily. Fecal consistency was monitored three times per week. Calves were weaned when they met certain criteria based on body weight gain and starter intake. Preweaning fecal score responded quadratically, with the group fed 1 g/d of lactoferrin having the lowest score. Overall and preweaning number of days medicated responded in the same manner as fecal score. Preweaning average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio increased linearly with lactoferrin supplementation, whereas postweaning gain-to-feed ratio decreased linearly with lactoferrin. Overall average daily heart girth gain increased linearly with lactoferrin. Body weight, weaning age, and dry matter intake were not different among treatments. Based on the observed improved gain-to-feed ratios, increased average daily gains, improved fecal scores, and reduced morbidity in preweaned calves, it appears that lactoferrin may be a beneficial supplement in the diets of neonatal calves prior to weaning.

Forty-eight Holstein bull calves were assigned to a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized block design. Main effects were colostrum versus a serum-derived colostrum supplement, 0 versus 1 g of trypsin inhibitor added at the initial 2 feedings, and milk replacer containing 0 or 50% CP from whole egg. Calves were bled at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after birth for determination of serum immunoglobulin (Ig). G. Serum IgG concentrations were lower in calves consuming the colostrum supplement compared with calves consuming colostrum. Apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG was similar. Trypsin inhibitor did not affect IgG concentrations or absorption of IgG. Calves were fed either milk replacer for 28 to 35 d (preweaning phase) and weaned when they consumed 0.7 kg of starter grain for 2 consecutive days. The postweaning phase was from weaning to d 56. Feeding colostrum supplement resulted in higher fecal scores postweaning (1.90 vs. 1.58) and overall (1.85 vs. 1.65) and fewer days medicated preweaning (5.1 vs. 2.2 d) and postweaning (3.9 vs. 1.9 d) and overall (9.0 vs. 4.2 d). Calves were treated for upper respiratory tract infections and diarrhea. Dry matter intake and weaning age were not affected by treatment. Postweaning (1.69 vs. 1.2 kg) and overall (1.22 vs. 1.0 kg), calves that received colostrum and egg milk replacer consumed more dry matter and starter. Postweaning, calves fed colostrum and egg milk replacer had similar or greater body weight and gains compared with calves fed colostrum and milk protein milk replacer. Preweaning, feed efficiency was greater for calves fed colostrum (0.44 vs. 0.34), trypsin inhibitor (0.42 vs. 0.36), and milk protein milk replacer (0.48 vs. 0.30) compared with calves fed colostrum supplement, no trypsin inhibitor, and egg milk replacer, respectively. Trypsin inhibitor increased feed efficiency postweaning. Calves fed trypsin inhibitor and milk protein milk replacer were more efficient preweaning and overall than calves fed trypsin inhibitor and egg milk replacer. Results indicate that the blood derived colostrum supplement did not provide as much IgG as colostrum (4.55 g/L vs. 14.6 g/L, respectively), that feeding 1.0 g of trypsin inhibitor did not enhance serum IgG concentrations, and that the egg milk replacer-fed calves fed colostrum performed nearly as well as calves fed colostrum and the milk protein milk replacer.

Objectives Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic disorder of the autonomic nervous system that is associated with orthostatic intolerance (OI) and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. We aimed to determine if a gluten-free diet (GFD) may be an effective treatment in patients with POTS. Methods Patients with confirmed POTS and without celiac disease who followed GFD for  4 weeks retrospectively completed pre- and post- GFD COMPASS-31 questionnaires. Paired-samples t-tests were conducted to compare COMPASS-31 scores before and after adopting GFD. Results All 20 patients (all females, age 16–62 years (mean age 33)), had POTS symptoms for 1–30 years (mean 10.8, SD  =  10.23 years). Eleven patients had co-morbid mast cell activation syndrome, and 8 had hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Pre-GFD COMPASS-31 scores (mean 57.8) were significantly higher than post-GFD scores (mean 38.2, t(19) = -8.92, p < 0.00001), with the largest improvement noted in the OI (p < 0.00001), vasomotor, (p  =  0.0034), and GI (p  =  0.0004) domains and with a mean reduction in total COMPASS-31 score by 33.9% after implementing GFD. All patients reported improved symptoms on GFD with mean self-assessed improvement of 50.5% (range 10-99%). Discussion GFD may be effective in reducing the symptom burden in patients with POTS, particularly in the OI, vasomotor, and GI symptom domains. Large prospective studies are necessary to confirm whether GFD is an effective long-term treatment option for patients.

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