Immune-Modulating Components In Bovine Milk And Their Potential To Influence Human Health

Bovine milk has long been recognised as an excellent source of nutrition for humans. However, it has only recently been recognised as a unique source of bioactive factors capable of imparting measurable health benefits to its recipients. Consequently, the last decade has seen an increasing amount of research into milk components and fractions for their potential to influence human health. A significant proportion of research in this field has sought to identify and characterise components capable of influencing the immune system. There is now unequivocal evidence that bovine milk and colostrum contain a multitude of factors with potent immunomodulatory properties; some (such as antibodies) provide passive protection, while others exert their effects by enhancing or regulating dysfunctional immune responses. For example, milk proteins and peptides have been shown to modulate phagocytic function, NK cell activity, antibody responses to vaccines and T cell responses. The ability of bovine milk and colostrum-derived antibodies to provide protection against a range of gastrointestinal pathogens has been well documented. Components of milk fat, such as conjugated linoleic acid, have also been reported to possess potent immunomodulatory properties. There is also evidence for a beneficial role of milk components in the development and maturation of the immune system. A small number of studies have also reported a relationship between immune stimulation and protection against cancer and various infectious diseases, as well as immune modulation and attenuation of inflammatory conditions.

However, a large majority of the evidence demonstrating the aforementioned effects come largely from in vitro and animal studies. The efficacy in human subjects and the translation of immunomodulation into tangible and measurable health outcomes remains to be demonstrated for most of the immunoactive milk constituents. Also, the mechanisms by which milk components mediate their effects are not fully understood. As a result, only a handful of milk-based immunomodulatory products have been commercialised to date. This presentation will provide an overview of the immunomodulatory effects of milk components and highlight the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in order to successfully develop and market milk-based products with definitive immune health benefits.