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Milkybiotics – new bioactivity for bovine colostrum

Sinead T. Morrin, Jonathan A. Lane, Mariarosaria Marotta, Rita M. Hickey

Research Impact Highlights

Industry impact: It is now widely accepted that the bacteria present in our gut have a large impact on our overall health. What we eat can influence the type of bacteria found in our gut. Teagasc has begun to explore how diet may lead to the establishment of larger numbers of bacteria with health-promoting properties in the gut. Milk, either in the form of breast milk or cow’s milk formula, is among the first foods introduced in our diet. As such, the effect of colostrum from cows (the milk produced in the first days after birth) and how it might condition the intestinal cell surface allowing health-promoting bacteria to attach to the gut cells in greater numbers was assessed. After intestinal cells were exposed to colostrum components, the attachment of a range of healthpromoting bacteria to the cells was dramatically improved. The impact of colostrum components on the intestinal cell genome, proteome and glycome were investigated. Overall, the colostrum fraction altered the cell surface sugar pattern of intestinal cells and the research provides an insight into how these bacteria colonise the human gut. Such findings are of great importance to individuals with lower counts of these bacteria, such as formula-fed infants, the elderly and those on antibiotic treatment. A patent has been filed and discussions are ongoing with interested companies.

Other contributors and collaborators: Lars Bode, Department of Pediatrics and Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation Mother-Milk-Infant Center of Research Excellence, University of California, San Diego. Stephen Carrington and Jane A. Irwin, Veterinary Sciences Centre, School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin. Lokesh Joshi, Advanced Glycoscience Research Cluster, National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, National University of Ireland Galway.

Funding: Teagasc.