Effect of Heat-Treatment on Nutritional and Immune Factors in Bovine Colostrum
Published: June 5, 2013
By: Sandra Godden, S. DVM, DVSc1, K. Hausler1, N. Koewler1, K. Brakefield1, H. LillegaardDVM1, M. Van Amburgh PhD2, R. Bey PhD1, and P. Rapnicki DVM, MBA1 (1Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN. 2 Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY)
Studies have demonstrated that heat-treating colostrum at 60°C for 60 minutes results in a significant reduction in colostral bacteria counts with no overall reduction in colostral IgG concentrations. Preweaned calves fed HT colostrum have enhanced efficiency of absorption of IgG and reduced morbidity. Despite these benefits, limited research exists to describe if the heat-treatment process harms other colostrum components. The objective of Study 1, described herein, was to describe the effect of heat-treatment on concentrations of several nutrient and immune factors in bovine colostrum. The objective of Study 2 was to describe the effects of heat-treatment on leukocyte viability, alkaline phosphatase (AP) enzyme activity and IgG concentrations in bovine colostrum.
In the first study 25 unique batches of first milking bovine colostrum were first sampled as fresh (FR) colostrum, heat-treated at 60°C for 60 minutes using a commercial on-farm batch pasteurizer, and then sampled immediately after as heat-treated (HT) colostrum. Paired FR and HT colostrum samples underwent laboratory testing for levels of dry matter (%), true protein (%), crude fat (%), lactose (%), solids not fat (%), other solids (%), insulin (ng/ml), lactoferrin (mg/ml), IGF (ng/ml), IgG (mg/ml), pH, total plate count (TPC, cfu/ml), total coliform count (TCC, cfu/ml) and somatic cell count (SCC, cells/ml). Analysis of variance demonstrated that treatment had no effect on any of the aforementioned components with the exception of TPC and TCC, which were significantly reduced in HT samples (logTPC = 1.2 +/- 0.9; logTCC = 0.7 +/- 1.0) as compared to FR samples (logTPC = 4.2 +/- 0.8; logTCC = 3.7 +/- 1.2) (P < 0.0001). Unexpectedly, SCC, as measured using a NIR assay, was unaffected by treatment, prompting the investigators to complete the second study to investigate if treatment affected leukocyte viability.
In the second study 22 unique batches of first milking bovine colostrum were sampled as FR colostrum, heat-treated at 60°C for 60 minutes using a commercial on-farm batch pasteurizer, and then sampled immediately after as HT colostrum. Paired FR and HT colostrum samples underwent laboratory testing for levels of IgG (mg/ml), total WBC count (x 106 cells/ml), total viable WBC count (x 106 cells/ml), the percentage of WBC that were viable (%), TPC (cfu/ml), TCC (cfu/ml) and AP enzyme activity (mU/L). As for previous studies, ANOVA showed that treatment had no effect on colostral IgG (FR = 77.8 +/- 17.5; HT = 75.2 +/- 17.0 mg/ml) but significantly reduced colostral TPC and TCC counts (FR logTPC = 5.2 +/- 1.4; HT logTPC = 1.2 +/- 1.0) and TCC (FR logTCC = 4.1 +/- 1.8; HT logTCC = 0.3 +/- 0.5). The proportion of WBCs that were viable was significantly lower in HT colostrum (8.3 +/- 2.7%) as compared to FR colostrum (28.2 +/- 11.3%) (P < 0.0001). Chi squared analysis showed that treatment reduced AP enzyme activity, which was present in 100% and 77% of FR and HT colostrum samples, respectively (P = 0.02).
The implications of this research are that, with the exception of colostral leukocyte viability, veterinarians and producers can be confident that all immune and nutritional parameters tested in these two studies were not negatively affected by heat-treating the colostrum. The viability of colostral leukocytes was not eliminated, but was significantly reduced by HT. The function and biological significance of colostral leukocytes in neonatal calves still requires research. However, the reduction in viable leukocytes caused by HT may be less important than the benefits gained, given that a previous study demonstrated that calves fed HT colostrum suffered less morbidity than calves fed FR colostrum. Since the HT procedure did not consistently inactivate the AP enzyme in colostrum samples, this test does not hold potential to be used as a monitoring tool for colostrum HT programs on dairy farms.
This paper was presented at the 2012 Minnesota Dairy Health Conference which was held May 22-24 at the Minneapolis Airport Marriott. Engormix thanks for this contribution.
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5 de junio de 2013
Dear Professor Samad,
Many farms in North America are successfully heat-treating colostrum to feed to calves. If you would like to contact me directly, I can email you several studies demonstrating how this works, and that the calves are in fact healthier.
If you are interested in creating powdered (spray dried) colostrum replacers, this is also being done by several North American manufacturers and can be very successful. I can send you a review of many studies on this as well. Or, if you are interested, I could put you into contact with one such manufacturer who has been doing this for many years.
My email is: godde002@umn.edu
Most sincerely,
Sandra Godden
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5 de junio de 2013
As a routine practice nobody will heat colostrum at 60 0C for 60 minutes as then it will coagulate. In India a coagulated colostrum cake is sold in the market and it is believed that the product might be nutritious but devoid of immunological properties unique to colostrum. In fact we are looking for a cost-effective method to dehydrate colostrum. here are conflicting reports in the literature about efficacy of standard spray drying technique and laternate methods have been proposed but these are quite expensive.
Prof. A. Samad
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4 de julio de 2013
04/07/2013 Conclusion of this interesting work : "Since the HT procedure did not consistently inactivate the AP enzyme in colostrum samples, this test does not hold potential to be used as a monitoring tool for colostrum HT programs on dairy farms."
Milk ALP is usually totally inactivated after such heat treatment (60°C for 30 min). However, in colostrum there are many different ALP: exogenous ALP from bacteria, mostly seric ALP which is pasively transferred in colostrum, and the true milk ALP. The sensitivity to heat treatment of these ALP range from very sensitive (milk ALP) to heat resistant (some bacterial ALP),the seric/intestinal ALP being intermediary.
So, in order to control the efficient pasteurization of colostrum it is necessary to use a strictly specific test for the milk ALP. Such a test has been developed using a monoclonal antibody which capture specifically the milk ALP. Such a test has been developed using a monoclonal antibody which capture specifically the milk ALP of the sample. For further informations see the IDBiotech website (http://www.idbiotech.com/content/8-alkaline-phophatase-ALP-milk-cheese-colostrum-fluorophos)
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Feikema Feed Solutions
6 de junio de 2013
Dear Sandra,
Most possible you already have seen the commercial colostrum pasteurier ColoQuick, a Danish product. Using this system, your discussed theory is already in practice and the machine is available in many countries. We are commercialising the Colouick system in Poland, and the early adopters there are very happy with the system.
Best regards,
Jan Feikema MSc.
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5 de junio de 2013
this is very important and interested paper as the findings are against traditional methods but all research focused the betterment of calves as highest mortality rate in calves is in their early days of life. i feel it is a good try by the others and work must continue in this direction as the target is to maintain the benefits of clostrum and lowering the mortality rate in off springs
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