Colostrum from Different Animal Species - A Product for Health Status Enhancement

Abstract

The first milk after birth is also known as colostrum. The composition of animal and human colostrum depends very much on different factors such as: animal species, animal breed and genetical characteristics, feeding program, diet. Bovine colostrum is used in different therapies due to its composition in nutraceuticals, but also because the cow gives high quantity colostrum compared to other animal species (goats or ewes). The immunological properties of colostrum are acknowledged in various studies. Due to its immunoglobiline content, it is an alternative therapy in immunity enhancement. Colostrum is also used in athletes’ supplementation plan with very good results in their competition performance. Dry matter composition of cow, goat and ewe’s colostrum can give very good information about the nutritional composition, especially proteins. Thus, proteins, lipids, minerals, vitamins are significantly higher in colostrum right after parturition and decrease very much in time in mature milk. Lactose - in most of the studies - presents an increase in concentration from colostrum to milk. Our study reflects the highest content of dry matter in ewe colostrum, with significant decrease in goat and cow. Total lipid content was highest also in ewe’s colostrum, lower in cow’s, and the lowest in goat colostrum. In most samples, minerals (copper, manganese, zinc) had - the highest concentration in colostrum milking with a decrese from the 6 hour colostrum to the 48 hour colostrum collected after parturition. Iron composition increases in ewe colostrum from the 6 hours to 48 hours.