Bovine colostrum demonstrates anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity in in vitro models of intestinal inflammation and infection

Abstract

Clinically, there is a growing need to identify new means to limit the response of the gut mucosa to inflammatory stimuli. Bovine colostrum is increasingly recognised to promote human gastrointestinal health but the mechanism(s) involved are not entirely elucidated. This study investigated specific anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects of colostrum in an in vitro model of intestinal cell inflammation. Colostrum reduced interleukin (IL)-8 levels when Caco-2 and HT29 cells were stimulated with TNF-α. Increasing concentrations of colostrum also reduced IL-8 expression following co-culture with adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC), a finding that correlated with reduced bacterial adherence to the cells. Colostrum was also shown to have direct antibacterial activity. The findings of this study add to the growing body of evidence that bovine colostrum may indeed be beneficial to gastrointestinal health due to modulation of intestinal epithelial inflammatory responses consequent to interruption of host:pathogen interactions.