Newborn calf intestinal absorption of immunoglobulins extracted from bovine colostrum.

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to study the absorption of immunoglobulins G extracted from colostrum and administered in a saline solution (IECRSS). Fifty (41 male and 9 female) newborn Holstein calves were randomly divided into five groups of ten animals each. Calves were guiven ether a. colostrum; b. IECRSS + CMP; c. IECRSS + isobutyric acid; d. IECRSS + freeze-dried colostrum extract, and e- pure IECRS5. Colostrum and IECRSS, each of them containing 44 g/l of IgG, were given at a level of 25 g/kg body weight. The complements (CMP, isobutyric acid and colostrumextract) were added at the levels of 100. 125 and 250 mg/kg body weight, respectively. Blood samples were taken just before the meals as well as 26 h after birth. The animals were fed on colostrum or IECRSS + + compliement two, ten and eighteen hours after birth. Blood was sampled before ingestion of colostrum or IECRSS and 26 hoursafter birth. Body temperature was measured betore each blood sampling and therafter the hematocrit level was determined. The IgG levels were dosed up from plasma by nephelometry. Compared with that of colostrum IgG in nature, IECRSS absorption was reduced independently of the added complement (P C 0.01). The plasma levels of IgG at 26 hours after birth were 5.12 ± 0.79; 6.74 ±0.82:7.61 ± 1.18; 7.58 ± 0.85 and 14.9 ± 139 (g/l) in calves of groups A, B, C, D, E respectively. The hematocrit level and the body temperature were not influenced (P >0.05) by the treatments, independently of the blood collection (between 0 and 26 hours). It was concluded that the IECRSS, independently of the nature of the added complement, are less efficiently absorted than the IgG of colostrum in natura.