Colostrum and milk-derived peptide growth factors for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders

Colostrum is the specific first diet of mammalian neonates and is rich in i mmunoglobulins, antimicrobial peptides, and growth factors. In this article we review some of these constituents of human and bovine colostrum in comp arison with those of mature milk. Recent studies suggest that colostral fra ctions, or individual peptides present in colostrum, might be useful for th e treatment of a wide variety of gastrointestinal conditions, including inf lammatory bowel disease, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug-induced gut inj ury, and chemotherapy induced mucositis. We therefore discuss the therapeut ic possibilities of using whole colostrum, or individual peptides present i n colostrum, for the treatment of various gastrointestinal diseases and the relative merits of the 2 approaches.