In
vivo antimicrobial and antiviral activity of components in bovine
milk and colostrum involved in non-specific defence.
van Hooijdonk
AC, Kussendrager KD, Steijns JM.
DMV International, R&D Center, PO Box 13, 5460 BA Veghel, The
Netherlands.
The in vivo evidence
of the antimicrobial and antiviral activity of bovine milk and colostrum
derived components are reviewed with special emphasis on lactoferrin
and lactoperoxidase. Their mode of action and the rationale for their
application in efficacy trials with rodents, farm animals, fish and
humans, to give protection against infectious agents, are described.
A distinction is made between efficacy obtained by oral and non-oral
administration of these non-specific defence factors which can be
commercially applied in large quantities due to major achievements
in dairy technology. From the in vivo studies one can infer that lactoferrin
and lactoperoxidase are very promising, naturally occurring antimicrobials
for use in fish farming, husbandry, oral hygiene and functional foods.
Other promising milk-derived compounds include lipids, from which
anti-infective degradation products are generated during digestion,
and antimicrobial peptides hidden in the casein molecules.
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