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INTRODUCTION
Passive immunization through food is unique
to mammals, who all receive it through colostrum at birth. This
is necessary for survival as most young are born without immunity.
Immunoglobulins (Igs), also referred to as antibodies, are active,
large, molecular-weight proteins found in colostrum. They are
later made by the newborn.
Immunoglobulins are both immunostimulatory
and immunosuppressive.1 With their immunostimulatory function,
they increase the host defense mechanisms against infective illness
caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. They can also reduce
inflammation and the development of allergies. Immunoglobulins,
provided passively or made endogenously, create a delicate balance
in the immune system.
Like the newborn, patients with certain
diseases are unable to make sufficient immunoglobulins and would
thus benefit from a dietary means of enhancing immunity. Specially
processed whey protein, one of the two major proteins of cow's
milk, has been manufactured to meet this need. It is not only
a protein of high biological value that augments an often protein-poor
diet but it also may have a significant effect on immune function.
Because the product is undenatured, it is a rich source of amino
acids that can serve as precursors for glutathione synthesis.
Cysteine and glutamate form glutathione, a potent antioxidant,
which is needed in greater quantities during stress.
What follows is an overview of the development
of a whey protein enriched with immunoglobulins and its effect
in two disease states - AIDS and cancer.
HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHEY PROTEIN
ENRICHED WITH IMMUNOGLOBULINS
In the early 1980s, it became apparent
to farmers that the mortality of newborn calves was increasing.
Investigation determined that the mother cows had smaller concentrations
of immunoglobulins in their colostrum than in previous decades.
This decrease may be due to the way most dairy cows are now raised
in this country and elsewhere: they are raised to be large milk
producers, and not enough time is allowed for their milk to become
enriched with immunoglobulins before the birth of a calf. In
the late 1980s, the product, Colostrx® was developed (For
animal use, it is available through Schering Plough, Madison,
New Jersey. For human use, it is referred to as Promune™;
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Optim Nutrition, Salt Lake City, Utah).
It is a colostrum substitute drawn from whey and enriched with
immunoglobulins. It was administered to the newborn calves through
small syringes for several days from birth. Several studies were
conducted on newborn calves, which were randomly assigned to
Colostrx, cow's milk, or colostrum feeding at birth.2 Those receiving
the Colostrx and the colostrum had higher early growth, higher
serum levels of IgG, higher average daily weight gain, and fewer
episodes of diarrhea.
PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS
The colostrum substitute, now referred
to as Promune, contains about 80% protein, of which 10% is from
the immunoglobulins (Table 1). The product is made in a patented
process of ultrafiltration/diafiltration, which allows the activity
of the immunoglobulins to be preserved in the high-biological-value
protein inherent in whey. Activity of the immunoglobulins refers
to their ability to bind to antigens, foreign bodies that are
capable of producing sickness. Fluid milk is 80% casein and 20%
whey, so that drinking cow's milk results in consumption of very
little of the immunoglobulins. Whey protein, the byproduct of
the cheese-making process, contains most of the immunoglobulins
of the milk. The other major protein portion of milk, casein,
is preserved for the manufacturing of cheese.
The key to obtaining dry whey powder rich
in immunoglobulins is careful processing techniques. Optim Nutrition,
the manufacturer of Promune, has four patents in this area. Through
a series of ultrafiltration processes, water and lactose are
removed from the slurry of whey. Care is taken to assure that
the activity of the antibodies is preserved and that the proteins
are not denatured. The resulting product is a whey protein concentrate
that contains increased concentrations of protein and immunoglobulins
compared with fluid milk or ordinary whey protein concentrate.
The main difference between Promune and ordinary whey protein
is the inclusion of a high concentration of active immunoglobulins
and of undenatured proteins.
The New Zealand herds of cows used for
making Promune are not treated with hormones, nor are they hyperimmunized;
the cows are intentionally infected with a pathogen, which forces
them to make antibodies specific to that pathogen. This herd
is only one of two that can produce sufficient
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