Nutritional Parameters in Colostrum of Different Mammalian Species

Abstract

Colostrum (or first milk) is the food produced by all the mothers in all specific mammalian species, ruminants, monogastric and marine mammalians for their newborns during the first 24–48 h post-partum. Colostrum provides to the neonate all essential nutrients necessary for the first week of life, but the effect of colostrum shows a long-term effect not limited to these first days. Colostrum is considered to be a safe and essential food for human consumption. Some young children can show at the beginning of their colostrum-based diet some side effects, such as nausea and flatulence, but they disappear quickly. In human colostrum, the immunoglobulins and lactoferrin determined show the ability to create natural immunity in newborns, reducing greatly the mortality rate in children. Recent studies suggest that bovine colostrum (BC) may be an interesting nutraceutical food, due to its ability in preventing and/or mitigating several diseases in newborns and adults. This review aims to show the nutraceutical and functional properties of colostrum produced by several mammalian species, describing the different colostrum bio-active molecules and reporting the clinical trials aimed to determine colostrum nutraceutical and therapeutic characteristics in human nutrition.

Gastrointestinal barrier function, immunity, and neurocognition: The role of human milk oligosaccharide (hMO) supplementation in infant formula

“…In addition to the high hMO concentration, colostrum is important to newborns as it contains more lactalbumin and lactoprotein and is rich in antibodies (Godhia & Patel, 2013). This makes colostrum highly nutritious and protective (Polidori et al, 2022). hMOs not only vary in quantity in breastmilk but can also vary greatly in complexity.…”

Proteomics and Peptidomics As a Tool to Compare the Proteins and Endogenous Peptides in Human, Cow, and Donkey Milk

“…13,21 Donkey colostrum (DC) is more similar to human colostrum than cow colostrum in terms of nutritional components such as protein, lactose, and fats. 22 The specific protein composition of donkey milk makes it less likely to cause allergic reactions compared to cow milk.…”

“…Compared with mature milk, colostrum contains a higher concentration of bioactive components, which play a more crucial role in the growth of newborns. Human colostrum (HC) contains numerous antibodies that not only protect newborns from infectious diseases but also provide passive immunity and growth factors for gastrointestinal development. , Bovine colostrum (BC) also contains a variety of bioactive components, which can regulate the intestinal and immune functions of newborns. , Donkey colostrum (DC) is more similar to human colostrum than cow colostrum in terms of nutritional components such as protein, lactose, and fats . The specific protein composition of donkey milk makes it less likely to cause allergic reactions compared to cow milk.…”

The relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine polarization and milk composition in the postnatal period in Kyrgyz mares and foals

“…In addition, demand for mare's milk and dairy products as food is increasing in Europe, especially in Germany, France, and Italy (Pieszka et al, 2011). Studies have suggested that bovine colostrum may be a nutraceutical food due to its ability to prevent and/or alleviate various diseases in newborns and adults (Polidori et al, 2022). It is emphasized in many studies that mare's milk and colostrum can also be used as an alternative food (Jastrzębska et al, 2017; Pieszka et al, 2016).…”