Introduction: Chronic inflammation with aging is associated with sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Bovine colostrum is the first milk secreted by cows following parturition and contains bioactive substances, while ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Both target the inflammatory pathway regulated by cyclooxygenase and have potential to increase muscle and bone mass when combined with resistance training. Objectives: To determine efficacy of novel anti-inflammatory nutritional (bovine colostrum) and pharmaceutical (ibuprofen) supplementation during resistance training on muscle and bone properties and strength in older adults. Methods: Older adults (≥50y) were randomly assigned to receive 38g/d of colostrum or whey protein during a resistance training program for 8 weeks; postmenopausal women (≥60y) were randomly assigned to receive ibuprofen (400 mg) or placebo post-exercise while performing a resistance training program or stretching program (3d/wk) for 9 months. Both studies utilized dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for body composition and predicted 1-repetition maximum for strength. The bovine colostrum study further assessed muscle thickness of the biceps and quadriceps, plasma insulin-like growth factor-1, and inflammation and bone resorption markers; the ibuprofen study further assessed bone and muscle properties and estimates of bone strength (peripheral quantitative computed tomography), and dynamic balance. Results: Bovine colostrum supplementation during resistance training increased leg press strength (21%) and reduced bone resorption (-29%) versus whey protein. Both colostrum and whey protein groups improved chest press strength, muscle thickness, and lean tissue mass. Ibuprofen alone appeared beneficial for preventing loss of areal bone density at Ward’s region (3%) and bone properties at the distal radius (0.5%) and radial shaft (1.1%), while exercise alone appeared beneficial for bone properties at the distal radius (0.6%). However, the interaction of resistance training and ibuprofen negated the benefits at the distal radius (-1.5%). Neither ibuprofen nor resistance training was effective for increasing lean tissue mass, although resistance training improved body fat percentage (-2.0%), increased upper and lower body strength (23%, 110%), and preserved muscle density of the calf (-3.1%). Conclusion: While bovine colostrum could be taken within close proximity to exercise, ibuprofen should not be as it may interfere with the effects of exercise when the two interventions are combined.

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Jim L. Nelssen / Two experiments evaluated the effect of colostrum and energy supplementation on the performance and immune response of baby piglets. In Exp. 1, 301 newborn pigs (Line 600 × 241; DNA, 1.48 kg) were used in a 21-d study. Pigs were weighed and allotted to one of three treatments at 6-h of age in a randomized complete block design with 23 replications (litters) per treatment. Piglets were blocked by weight and randomly assigned a treatment. Runt piglets (birthweight < 0.8 kg) were tested in experiment 1 and 2. Dietary treatments were a control with no dietary supplementation, an energy supplement (1.5 ml containing glucose, dried milk, medium chain triglycerides, and tea extract), and bovine colostrum (30 ml). The supplements were given as an oral gavage. A single treatment was administered at 6-h after birth. At 30-h of age approximately 1ml of blood was obtained for an immunocrit assay of serum. The glucose based energy supplement (milk protein, medium chain triglycerides) had no (P > 0.05) effect on weight or ADG at any of the weigh periods (30-h, d 5, d 7, d 14, and weaning), immunocrit ratio, or survival rate. The bovine colostrum treatment had a negative (P < 0.05) effect on weight at 24-h, d 5, and d 7, immunocrit ratio, and survival rate. There was no (P > 0.05) effect of treatment on weight at weaning. . In Exp. 2, 364 newborn pigs (Line 600 × 241; DNA, 1.48 kg) were used in a 21-d study. Pigs were weighed and allotted to one of three treatments in a randomized complete block design with 25 replications (litters) per treatment. Dietary treatments were a control with no dietary supplementation, an energy supplement (1.5 ml, glucose based, containing milk protein, medium chain triglycerides, and tea extract), and bovine colostrum (10 ml). The supplements were given as an oral gavage. A single treatment was administered at 6-h after birth. At 30-h of age blood was collected for analysis of serum immunocrit. Body weights, ADG during the duration of the trial, immunocrit ratio, and survival rates were similar (P > 0.05) for the treatment groups. In both experiment 1 and 2 there were no treatment by weight group interaction. In summary, under the conditions of these experiments supplementation of 30 ml of bovine colostrum had a negative effect (P < 0.05) on immunocrit ratio and survival rate (P > 0.05), of the treatments affected on weaning weights when compared to the control.

Secretory immunoglobulin-A (S-IgA) in saliva may reflect levels of immune defence at other mucosal sites. Reduced levels of salivary S-IgA have been associated with an increased risk for upper respiratory symptoms (URS) in athletes. Previously, the consumption of a nutrition supplement, bovine colostrum (BC) by distance runners, was shown to significantly increase levels of salivary S-IgA compared to baseline; however the mechanism was not known. The immunomodulatory effect of BC is investigated further in these current studies. Twenty-five swimmers (12 males [M], 13 females [F], age 14-23 years) training at an elite level, 28 lightly-exercising students (9M, 19F, age 18-27 years), and 45 healthy older adults (20M, 20F, age 65-76 years), consumed a supplement of either BC or placebo for ten weeks. Saliva samples were collected at baseline, weekly for four weeks during supplementation and post-supplementation. Blood samples were collected at baseline, monthly during supplementation and post-supplementation. No significant changes were seen in levels of S-IgA in either BC or placebo groups within any of the cohorts. There was a trend towards a significant difference in URS reportage between BC and placebo groups in the swimmers cohort, but not in the students or older adults. There was also a trend towards a difference in the number of swimmers reporting URS. Fewer numbers of swimmers consuming BC reported URS compared the placebo (P=0.062) after consuming BC for four weeks compared to those consuming the placebo. Post-exercise plasma cortisol results were significantly reduced in the BC subgroup compared to the placebo (P=0.004). These results do not support the findings of previous intervention studies investigating the immunomodulatory effect of BC in athletes. However the reduced reportage of URS, among swimmers consuming the BC supplement, suggested there was some benefit to their health. A possible explanation is that BC has impacted on non-infectious causes of URS. Growth factors present in BC may enhance intestinal repair which could be advantageous to athletes recovering from bouts of prolonged intensive exercise. The effect of gastrointestinal disturbances on local and systemic immunity may be minimised which benefits immune protection. However an inconsistent effect of BC supplementation on immune protection in athletes means further research is still required. In these studies there was no benefit to immune protection in the student or older adult cohort. Further investigation into the safety of BC for all population groups is still required.

Weaning is one of the most critical periods in pig production due to a high susceptibility to gut disorders and infections induced by psychological, social, environmental and dietary stresses interfering with gut development and adaptation. This period was managed for decades by incorporating antibiotics in the diet. However, the European Union implemented a full ban on in-feed antibiotics since 1 January 2006. In this context, many alternatives are studied. We chose to study bovine colostrum for its richness in essential nutrients but also in bioactive peptides known for their growth promoting and antimicrobial properties in the calf but also in other species (poultry, pig, human). It was also selected for its high disponibility (Banque de colostrum, CER, Marloie, Belgium). The objective of this thesis is to investigate the potential of the use of bovine colostrum in the newly-weaned piglet diet and its mechanism of action. This thesis is composed of two parts : In the first part, the effects of bovine colostrum on growth performances, feed intake and physiological parameters were studied in two experiments. In the first experiment, 24 newly weaned piglets were fed daily a diet supplemented with 0, 1 or 5 g of defatted bovine colostrum. Our measures on the immune system showed that bovine colostrum could influence the development of the IgA response by potentiating a Th2 response in the ileal Peyer patch. In the digestive tract, no effects were shown on the morphology of the intestinal wall but a local anti-colostral immunisation was observed. In a second experiment, we demonstrated the efficiency of a 2 % bovine colostrum whey supplementation in weaning piglet diet to reduce the post-weaning growth check and undernutrition. The blood parameters showed a systemic IgA response, confirming previous results, and a higher IGF-I level in the colostrum-fed piglets the first week post-weaning. No effects on the faecal E. coli population were recorded. In the second part of this thesis, different ways to make the use of bovine colostrum more cost-effective for pig production were studied. It was shown that it was possible to maintain the same efficiency while reducing the dose of supplementation from 2 to 1 % and the period of administration from 28 to 10 days and replacing bovine colostrum whey by defatted bovine colostrum, a product 50 % less expensive to produce. Le sevrage est une des périodes les plus critiques en production porcine à cause d'une plus forte sensibilité des animaux aux problèmes intestinaux et aux infections suite aux stress psychologique, social, environnemental et alimentaire interférant avec le développement du tube digestif. Cette période délicate a été maîtrisée durant des décennies par l'incorporation d'antibiotiques dans l'aliment. Cependant, depuis le 1er Janvier 2006, cette pratique est totalement interdite dans l'Union Européenne. Dans ce contexte, de nombreuses alternatives sont étudiées. Nous avons choisi le colostrum bovin pour sa richesse en éléments essentiels et surtout en peptides bioactifs connus pour leurs propriétés promotrices de croissance et antimicrobiennes chez le bovin mais également chez d'autres espèces (poulet, porc, homme). Il a également été retenu pour sa grande disponibilité (banque de colostrum, CER, Marloie, Belgique). L'objectif de cette thèse est d'évaluer l'intérêt d'utiliser du colostrum bovin dans l'alimentation du porcelet au sevrage et d'étudier son mécanisme d'action. La thèse se compose de deux parties : Dans la première partie, les effets d'une supplémentation en colostrum bovin sur les performances, l'ingestion et certains paramètres physiologiques ont été étudiés au cours de deux expériences. Au cours d'une première expérience, un aliment supplémenté quotidiennement avec 0, 1 ou 5 g de colostrum bovin dégraissé a été testé. Au niveau immunitaire, nos mesures ont montré une influence du colostrum bovin sur le développement de la réponse en IgA en induisant une réponse de type Th2 au niveau de la plaque de Peyer iléale. Dans le tube digestif, aucun effet n'a été observé sur la morphologie de la paroi intestinale, mais une immunisation locale anti-colostrale a été mise en évidence. Une seconde expérience a démontré l'efficacité d'une supplémentation de 2 % de sérum de colostrum dans l'aliment pour réduire la perte de poids et la sous-alimentation provoquées par le sevrage. Les paramètres sanguins ont montré une augmentation des IgA, confirmant nos résultats précédents, et un taux en IGF-I plus important chez les porcelets recevant le colostrum. Par contre, aucun effet n'a été observé sur la population d'E. Coli fécale. Dans la seconde partie de la thèse, différents moyens de réduire le coût de la supplémentation en colostrum bovin ont été étudiés. Il a été démontré qu'il était possible de maintenir l'efficacité du colostrum tout en réduisant la dose (de 2 % à 1 %) et la durée de supplémentation (de 28 à 10 jours) et en remplaçant le sérum de colostrum par du colostrum dégraissé, un produit 50 % moins cher.