Passive immunoglobin transfer in newborn calves fed colostrum or spray-dried serum protein alone or as a supplement to colostrum of varying quality.
Journal of dairy science
confidence
Key findings
Spray-dried bovine serum is a concentrated, efficiently absorbed Ig source; supplementing low/medium quality colostrum with BS improves passive IgG transfer.
View source on PubMed (PMID 11132855) ↗
- Sample size
- Exp 1: 29 calves (PC=9, BS=11, PS=9); Exp 2: 36 calves
- Population
- Newborn colostrum-deprived Holstein bull calves and freemartin heifer calves
- Dosing
- Exp 1: 45 g IgG in 2 L at birth and 12 h; Exp 2: ~95-99 g IgG in 2 L
- Duration
- 24 h post-treatment (feedings at birth and 12 h)
- Route
- oral
- Blinding
- not_reported
- Controls
- none
- Drug class
- biological supplement
Measured endpoints
- 24-h serum IgG concentration (experiment 1)Increasedimmunesignificanteffect: 8.3 vs 5.7 vs 4.2 g IgG/L for BS, PC, PS
- Serum IgG concentration at 24 h (experiment 2)Increasedimmunesignificanteffect: 6.2 vs 9.6 vs 9.6 g IgG/L for high, medium, low quality colostrum
- Apparent efficiency of IgG absorptionIncreasedimmunesignificanteffect: 25 vs 37 vs 38% for high, medium, low quality colostrum
Full abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of serum-derived immunoglobin (Ig) source and the effect of colostrum supplementation with serum-derived Ig on the attainment of passive immunity in newborn colostrum-deprived calves. In experiment 1, colostrum-deprived Holstein bull calves were fed pooled colostrum (PC, n = 9), spray-dried bovine serum (BS, n = 11), or spray- dried porcine serum (PS, n = 9). All treatments were balanced to provide 45 g of IgG in a 2-L volume at birth and again 12 h later. Calves receiving BS had higher 24-h serum IgG concentrations than did calves receiving PC or PS (8.3, 5.7, and 4.2 g of IgG/L for BS, PC, and PS, respectively). In experiment 2, the effect of supplementing bovine colostrum of varying quality with BS on Ig absorption was assessed. Thirty-two colostrum-deprived Holstein bull calves and four freemartin heifer calves were allotted by birth order to receive one of three treatments. Treatments consisted of 1) 2 L of pooled high quality colostrum (95.8 g of IgG, 0% from BS), 2) 2 L of pooled medium quality colostrum mixed with BS (95.2 g of IgG, 47% from BS), or 3) 2 L of low quality colostrum mixed with BS (98.8 g of IgG, 70% from BS). Serum IgG concentrations at 24 h after treatment were greater for calves receiving medium and low quality colostrum supplemented with BS (6.2, 9.6, and 9.6 g of IgG/L for high, medium, and low quality colostrum, respectively). Similarly, apparent efficiency of IgG absorption was greater for calves receiving medium and low quality colostrum supplemented with BS (25, 37, and 38% for high, medium, and low quality colostrum, respectively). The results of these studies suggest that dried BS contains a concentrated source of Ig, which is efficiently absorbed by newborn calves. Supplementation of marginal or low quality colostrum with dried BS is an effective means of improving passive transfer of IgG in newborn calves.