Immune milk preparations

Apart from animal studies, a large number of clinical studies have been carried out since the 1970s to demonstrate the efficacy of immune milk preparations in the prophylaxis or therapy of human GI diseases. These studies have been reviewed in several articles (Facon et al., 1993 Hammarstrom et al., 1994 Ruiz, 1994 Davidson, 1996 Weiner et al., 1999 Korhonen et al., 2000b Lilius and Mamila, 2001). Examples of immune milk trials carried out in humans are described in Table II. Clinical evidence obtained in most of these studies indicates that immune milk preparations are protective and, to some extent, also therapeutic against rotavirus infections in children (Ebina et al, 1985 Davidson et al., 1989 Mitra et al, 1995 Sarker et al, 1998). A protective or therapeutic effect of immune milk has also been demonstrated in humans against... 

Immune milk products with specific antibodies against rotavirus, Clostridium difficile or E. coli have been launched on the market in Australia and the United States. It has been suggested that such preparations could provide a potential alternative for, or a supplement to, antibiotics, especially in the case of treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (Ruiz, 1994 Weiner et al., 1999 Korhonen et al., 2000b). The supplementation of infant formulas with specific antibodies has also been proposed, but no such product has been introduced on the market, so far (Goldman, 1989 Davidson, 1996). 

The blood and milk serum from Poltava and Lugansk regions of Ukraine were supplied by Leiconad . Serum dilutions from 1 50 to 1 20000 were prepared in PBS (pH 7.4). The blood serum of the immunized animals was obtained from 6 to 12 months old calves after their vaccination with the medication developed by Leiconad . To prepare milk serum the fresh sample was acidified with 5% acetic acid and then centrifuged for 15 min at 400 g. 

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