FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

IV. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

A. Colostrum as an Active Additive or Ingredient for Functional and Clinical Foods

Bovine colostrum is a rich source of biologically active material including growth promot- ing factors, immunoglobulins and essential nutrients. Colostrum fractionation methods have been developed and several fractions have been clinically tested as new functional ingredients for clinical and special dietary food. Thus, colostrum may provide new possi- bilities for disease-specific functional foods. Other possibilities include colostrum from hyperimmunized cows.

1. General Properties of Colostrum Bovine colostrum, milk secreted during the first days after calving, has special nutritional

and immunological properties essential for the newborn calf. In addition to the milk pro- teins and other essential nutrients found in mature milk, colostrum contains growth pro- moting factors including insulin and insulinlike growth factors, as well as relatively high concentrations of immunoglobulins (especially lgG). Because of its growth promoting activity, colostrum can be used as a serum substitute in mammalian cell cultures (26) to support cell growth. However, colostrum has to be fractionated before its use in cell cul- tures to remove protein and lipid fractions. Thus, a range of fractionated products is avail- able.

2. Research on Colostrum Derivatives Possible application for fractions derived from colostrum have been proposed. These in-

clude treatment of gastritis (27) and uses in sports nutrition. An in vitro model system to study the potential effects of colostrum derivatives has been developed. Some ongoing projects are listed in Table 1 and current products in Table 2 .

The production of colostrum from hyperimmunized cows may enable development of functional foods with disease-specific properties. Examples include the possible treat- ment of hypercholesterolemia, intestinal infections (such as Helicobacter pylori) and pre-

Table 1 Current Studies on Bovine Colostrum Type of study

Result Athletic performance

Subjects

Enhanced performance, lower creatine kinase activities Athletic performance

Finnish Olympic ski team

Not completed Gastritis/immune colostrum

Volunteer athletes

Improved status Helicobacter pylori gastritis

Volunteers

Improved status (children) immune colos-

Children with abdominal com-

plaints and verified Helico-

trum

bacter

arthritis has been successfully tested in young arthritis patients in Finland. Colostrum products so far developed include immune colostrum for the treatment of rotavirus diarrhea (Gastrogard , Australia) and for lowering serum cholesterol levels (Taiwan, New Zealand).

Colostrum from both normal and hyperimmunized cows appears to have properties that are beneficial to health. The desirable properties of colostrum derivatives can be con- centrated to enhance the positive effects. It is also possible to combine the effective frac- tions of colostrum with probiotic lactic acid bacteria. These may facilitate combinations that can be used as functional additives or ingredients for clinical foods and special dietary foods.

B. The Potenttial Use of Probiotics

Almost a hundred years have passed since the introduction of theories on the prolongation of life by modulation of the intestinal ecosystem. The scientific basis for use of probiotic organisms has only recently been firmly established and some sound clinical studies have been published. The physiological and nutritional properties of selected bacterial strains are well characterized, and it is possible to verify that some strains are ‘‘probiotic’’ with documented effects of maintaining and promoting the health of the host when used as part of the daily diet.

Few well-documented probiotic dairy strains are available at present. The most im- portant are listed in Table 3 . Specific effects of probiotics include, for example, modulation of diarrhea from various causes, relief of lactose intolerance, and constipation. More recent claims with some strains include enhancement of immune function, vaccine adjuvant ef- fects, reduction of serum cholesterol levels, and changes in colon cancer–related parame- ters. The immune enhancing effects have been reported in several studies for two strains, Lactobacillus acidophilus LCI and Lactobacillus GG, which appear to act as immunoadju- vants (28–38). Effects on cholesterol levels remain to be verified since so many confound-

Table 2 Examples of Current Colostrum Products Name

Where marketed Bioenervi 

Type of product

Sports nutrition supplement Finland, Germany, and other countries Immune colostrum

Cholesterol lowering Taiwan, New Zealand, United States Immune colostrum

Rotavirus diarrhea prevention

Australia

HC1, HC3, and AC2 Cell culture medium Several countries

Table 3 Current Probiotic Bacteria and Their Reported Effects Strain

Selected references Lactobacillus acidophilus

Reported effects in clinical studies

Link-Amstr et al. 1994; La-5

Immune enhancer, adjuvant, protec-

tion against traveller’s diarrhea;

Bernet et al. 1994;

Bernet et al. 199. Lactobacillus acidophilus

balances intestinal microflora

Salminen et al. 1987; NCFB 1748

Lowering of fecal enzymes, decreas-

ing fecal mutagenicity, prevention

Salminen et al. 1993

of radiotherapy-related diarrhea

Streptococcus boulardii

Prevention of antibiotic-associated

Kaila et al., 1993

diarrhea; treatment of Clostridium

Siitonen et al., 1991

difficile diarrhea

Isolauri et al., 1992 Salminen et al., 1993 Majamaa et al., 1995 Raza et al., 1995 Kaila et al., 1995 Antila et al., 1994

Lactobacillus johnsonii LA1

Adherence to intestinal cells; bal-

Salminen et al., 1998

ances intestinal microflora; im- mune enhancement; adjuvant in H. pylori treatment

Lactobacillus casei Shirota

Prevention of intestinal disturbances,