Colostrum Therapy for Human Gastrointestinal Health and Disease

Abstract

There is increasing awareness that a broad range of gastrointestinal diseases, and some systemic diseases, are characterized by failure of the mucosal barrier. Bovine colostrum is a complex biological fluid replete with growth factors, nutrients, hormones, and paracrine factors which have a range of properties likely to contribute to mucosal healing in a wide range of infective, inflammatory, and injury conditions. In this review, we describe the anatomy and physiology of the intestinal barrier and how it may fail. We survey selected diseases in which disordered barrier function contributes to disease pathogenesis or progression, and review the evidence for or against efficacy of bovine colostrum in management. These disorders include enteropathy due to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), necrotizing enterocolitis, infectious diarrhea, intestinal failure, and damage due to cancer therapy. In animal models, bovine colostrum benefits NSAID enteropathy, IBD, and intestinal failure. In human trials, there is substantial evidence of efficacy of bovine colostrum in inflammatory bowel disease and in infectious diarrhea. Given the robust scientific rationale for using bovine colostrum as a promoter of mucosal healing, further work is needed to define its role in therapy.

Mutual Links between the Endocannabinoidome and the Gut Microbiome, with Special Reference to Companion Animals: A Nutritional Viewpoint

“…On the prebiotic side, studies have shown that dietary supplementation of several different prebiotics exert beneficial effects in IBD through changes in the intestinal microflora composition, i.e., increasing beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and improving the intestinal epithelial barrier [70]. Bovine colostrum, for example, has repeatedly been shown to (i) inhibit gut pathogens while stimulating the growth of a healthy microbiota (the so-called eubiotic effect) [71][72][73], (ii) reduce iatrogenic injury to the gut [74], (iii) prevent and limit diarrhoea of different origins [74,75].…”

The Use of Bovine Colostrum in Medical Practice and Human Health: Current Evidence and Areas Requiring Further Examination

“…This Special Issue of Nutrients , “The Use of Bovine Colostrum in Medical Practice and Human Health” contains five review articles covering various aspects of the potential use of BC, including its main constituents and uses [ 1 ], use in gastrointestinal health and disease [ 2 ], sports nutrition [ 3 ], pediatrics [ 4 ], and immune support [ 5 ]. It also includes a systematic review of its clinical use [ 6 ] and an original research article examining its effects on enteric bacteria [ 7 ].…”

“…Several growth-factor constituents of BC elicit pro-proliferative (growth) and protective effects when tested in cell lines and in in vitro gastrointestinal models, suggesting relevance for maintaining gut integrity or stimulating repair. The article by Chandwe and Kelly [ 2 ] discusses the evidence regarding the potential value of BC for gastrointestinal conditions and is also covered in the systematic clinical review by Guberti [ 6 ] and, in relation to the use of BC to maintain gut integrity of athletes, in the article by Davison [ 3 ]. At least on a theoretical basis, one would expect this application to be one of the most optimistic, as the constituents of BC are able to directly interact with luminal pathogens, influence the gut microbiome and allow growth factors and cytokines direct access to the intestinal mucosa.…”

“…This aspect was highlighted in the research article by Playford and Marchbank [ 7 ], who demonstrated that non-hyperimmune BC can reduce the fall in in vitro gut integrity of gut monolayers exposed to a variety of bacterial enteric pathogens, including those commonly associated with small-bowel bacterial overgrowth, leading the authors to recommend progression to clinical trials. Pilot clinical trials also suggest that BC may be useful to reduce non-steroidal anti-inflammatory-drug (NSAID)-induced gut injury and for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…There are several theoretical reasons why BC might have value for conditions affecting the newborn, including the fact that the gut lumen is probably more permeable to passage of intact proteins than the adult human gut. Although positive results of BC for the prevention of NEC in the pig model have been shown, review of the limited clinical data examining the value of BC for human NEC appears less optimistic [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Additional studies are currently ongoing, and results are awaited with interest.…”