Bovine colostrum is a health food supplement which prevents NSAID induced gut damage - Pubmed

University Division of Gastroenterology, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, UK.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective for arthritis but cause gastrointestinal injury. Bovine colostrum is a rich source of growth factors and is marketed as a health food supplement.

AIMS:
To examine whether spray dried, defatted colostrum or milk preparations could reduce gastrointestinal injury caused by indomethacin.

METHODS:
Effects of test solutions, administered orally, were examined using an indomethacin restraint rat model of gastric damage and an indomethacin mouse model of small intestinal injury. Effects on migration of the human colonic carcinoma cell line HT-29 and rat small intestinal cell line RIE-1 were assessed using a wounded monolayer assay system (used as an in vitro model of wound repair) and effects on proliferation determined using [3H]thymidine incorporation.

RESULTS:
Pretreatment with 0.5 or 1 ml colostral preparation reduced gastric injury by 30% and 60% respectively in rats. A milk preparation was much less efficacious. Recombinant transforming growth factor beta added at a dose similar to that found in the colostrum preparation (12.5 ng/rat), reduced injury by about 60%. Addition of colostrum to drinking water (10% vol/vol) prevented villus shortening in the mouse model of small intestinal injury. Addition of milk preparation was ineffective. Colostrum increased proliferation and cell migration of RIE-1 and HT-29 cells. These effects were mainly due to constituents of the colostrum with molecular weights greater than 30 kDa.

CONCLUSIONS:
Bovine colostrum could provide a novel, inexpensive approach for the prevention and treatment of the injurious effects of NSAIDs on the gut and may also be of value for the treatment of other ulcerative conditions of the bowel.

PMID: 10205201 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10205201

Pubmed - Effect of human milk and colostrum on Entamoeba histolytica

Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Dokuz Eylul University, 35340 Inciralti-Izmir, Turkey.

Abstract
AIM:
Many defense factors of the mother's colostrum or milk protect infants from intestinal, respiratory and systemic infections. In the present study, we investigated the effect of colostrum and mature human milk on E. histolytica parasites in vitro.

METHODS:
Samples of human milk were collected from 5 healthy lactating mothers. The medium with human milk at concentrations of 2%, 5% and 10% was obtained.

RESULTS:
The lethal effect of E. histolytica on the medium supplemented with different concentrations of both colostrum and mature human milk was significant during the first 30 min. We also detected that the results of colostrum and mature human milk were similar. No statistically significant differences were found between same concentrations of colostrum and mature human milk at the same times.

CONCLUSION:
Colostrum and mature human milk have significant lethal effect on E. histolytica and protect against its infection in breast fed children.

PMID: 14991951 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14991951