Colostrum as a Natural Diarrhea Therapy

Bovine colostrum is abundant in many bioactive factors that improve immune function and development. Colostrum’s dense combination of nutrients, antimicrobial factors, growth factors, anti-inflammatories and nutrients may be an enticing alternative to antibiotics in the treatment of calf scours.

Gastrointestinal Disease

Diarrhea is a multifactorial disease that happens after the calf is exposed to a combination of pathogens. Digestive disease is the leading cause of disease and death in the pre-weaning period, with the highest incidence in the second week of life.

The most common diarrhea causing pathogens include Rotavirus, Coronavirus, Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli), Clostridium perfringens, and Salmonella. Exposure to one or more pathogens can lead to diarrhea, which can then become complicated by a compromised immune system and poor management leading to onset of other diseases. Diarrhea can have lasting effects including poor average daily gain, decreased fertility, and lower milk yields.

Antibiotic Treatment

Most gastrointestinal diseases in calves are treated with antibiotics. A United States study found 33.9% of all dairy calves to have been administered with antibiotics at some time, and 75% of all dairy calves with diarrhea receiving antibiotic therapy.

There are several concerns regarding the frequent and improper use of antibiotics. Young animals given antibiotics can be negatively impacted by alteration of the gut microbiota. Antibiotic use can weaken the host’s immune system leading to increased risk for opportunistic pathogens to colonize the gut. Due to the potential detrimental effects of antimicrobial administration, efforts should be made to decrease their use, and to consider effective alternatives.

Immune Function

Gut microbiota play an important role in stimulating immune function. This is especially important in neonates, where the early interactions of the microbes initiate long term immunity through the development of the mucosal layer and epithelial cell barriers of the gut. The epithelial layer plays an important role in nutrient absorption and facilitates microbial cross-talk. This layer also provides a barrier against bacterial invasion.

Feeding colostrum to a newborn calf helps to facilitate colonization of healthy microbiota in the gut as well as supplies maternal antibodies and cell-mediated immunity to stimulate immune function of the calf in the first few hours of life. On farm colostrum management has the greatest association with calf morbidity and mortality than any other factor.

Natural Colostrum as a Diarrhea Treatment

Colostrum has been used for ages to provide several species with supplemental nutrition and treatment for many diseases including diarrhea in humans. More recently this therapy is being explored in young calves.

Feeding colostrum after gut closure may still have benefits. Immunoglobulins can still provide pathogen protection in the GI tract. Additionally other components such as oligosaccharides, lipids, growth factors, and hormones also play a role in protecting and maintaining a healthy GI tract.

In a world where antibiotic resistance is rising considering a shift in scours therapy from antibiotics to other strategies, such as bovine colostrum, may have big benefits. Future research regarding colostrum therapy will be useful in developing practical protocols to treat diarrhea with colostrum.

The table below shows the different components of colostrum and how they benefit the gastrointestinal tract.

 Source: Carter HSM, Renaud DL, Steele MA, Fischer-Tlustos AJ, Costa JHC. A Narrative Review on the Unexplored Potential of Colostrum as a Preventative Treatment and Therapy for Diarrhea in Neonatal Dairy Calves. Animals (Basel). 2021 Jul 28;11(8):2221. doi: 10.3390/ani11082221. PMID: 34438679; PMCID: PMC8388388.

 Written by: Mariah Gull, M.S.