Colostrum enhances protein synthesis

Growth Factors In Colostrum May Imporve Protein Synthesis Of Vital Organs.

The following research study shown the promising potential of bovine colostrum. These abstracts are for information sharing purposes only and do not intend to suggest or imply that products containing Colostrunin can prevent, treat or cure any diseases.

Colostrum Enhances the Nutritional Stimulation of Vital Organ Protein Synthesis in Neonatal Pigs.

Sometime in 1997, the nutrition scientists from the USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA conducted a study to find out the importance of the nutrient and non-nutritive components of colostrum in stimulating protein synthesis in vital organs of newborn pigs. Why pigs? Because Piglets are an ideal model for the human infant.

There are many studies showing the nutritional importance of colostrum, which is the first part of mother’s milk after giving birth. They wanted to better understand how colostrum improves the development of human babies.

So they studied four groups of piglets. Newborn pigs that were not allow to have colostrum, piglets fed with mature milk, piglets fed with colostrum and a group fed a formula that contained nutrients like those in colostrum but lacking growth factors.

The scientists then monitored protein synthesis in the pigs as this is a critical period of organ development. The group fed colostrum shown stimulated brain, heart and lung protein synthesis more than milk - or formula-fed piglets. This study indicated that colostrum caused maximal stimulation of vital organs due to a factor, not directly associated with nutrient intake, that is not present in formula.

The results of this study suggest that the main stimulus for vital organ protein synthesis in colostrum-fed piglets is ingestion of nutrients, but there was a specific stimulation of heart and brain protein synthesis that could be attributed to non-nutritive components.

The above study shown that the growth factors in colostrum could improve the protein synthesis of vital organs.

Abstract and full text refer PMID: 9202081 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

Pediatr Res. 1995 May;37(5):593-9.

Nutrient-independent and nutrient-dependent factors stimulate protein synthesis in colostrum-fed newborn pigs.

Burrin DG, Davis TA, Ebner S, Schoknecht PA, Fiorotto ML, Reeds PJ, McAvoy S.

Source

USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.

Abstract

We hypothesized that nonnutrient components, including growth factors, present in colostrum contribute to the stimulation of protein synthesis in colostrum-fed neonatal pigs. We studied neonatal pigs fed mature milk, colostrum, or a formula containing a macronutrient composition comparable to that of colostrum for 24 h. We measured the circulating concentrations of insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, glucose, and amino acids at intervals throughout the 24-h period, after which we measured in vivo protein synthesis using a flooding dose of [3H]phenylalanine. The rates of protein synthesis in several tissues measured after 24 h of feeding were greater than those we reported previously after 6 h of feeding. The acute (within 6 h) stimulation of protein synthesis in visceral and skeletal muscle tissues of neonatal pigs fed milk, colostrum, or formula was primarily influenced by nutrient intake and associated with rapid secretion of insulin. Indirect evidence suggests that intestinal absorption of ingested colostral insulin was minimal. However, the sustained increase in tissue protein synthesis between 6 and 24 h coincided with an increase in circulating insulin-like growth factor I. We found a novel, specific stimulation of skeletal muscle and jejunal protein synthesis in colostrum-fed pigs that can be attributed to some nonnutrient component of colostrum.

PMID: 7603776 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.