PETerna®
Technical Bulletin
The
broad benefits of colostrum to promote health in a variety of species
at all stages of life are ascribed to immunological and metabolic
components present in bovine colostrum. To our knowledge,
PETerna® is
the only colostrum product extensively tested to confirm the presence
and levels of seven key metabolic, immunological, and additional
factors, plus more than fifty other naturally occurring beneficial
ingredients. Our ability to test for these components allowed us to
develop proprietary (patent pending) colostrum processing techniques
to preserve several key components that have been linked to beneficial
health effects.
Veterinarians have long recognized that colostrum is necessary for the
health of the newborn. The colostral transfer of maternal antibodies (immunoglobulins)
from mother to infant during the first hours of life has been
established as essential for survival in many species. In addition to
antibodies, colostrum is rich in nutrients and other components that
have documented beneficial effects in tissue and organ growth and
development, aiding healing and combating aging. (Playford et. al.
2000).
It has
been recognized that the benefits of colostrum are not confined to
only newborns. The following is a partial list of reported benefits of
bovine colostrum in older animals and humans:
Bovine colostrum and protein fractions from colostrum have been shown
to be effective for treating and preventing infectious diseases in
human and various animal species beyond the neonatal period (Reviewed
in van Hooijdonk, A.C.M. et. al 2000, Tacket C. et. al. (1989) The
Lancet 23: 709 – 712, Rump J. et. al. (1992) Clin. Invest. 70: 588 –
594).
Factors isolated from colostrum accelerate healing, balance blood
sugar, reduce insulin need, and increase muscle and bone growth, while
reducing fat (Reviewed in Pakkanen R. and Alto J. (1997) Int. Dairy
J.: 285 – 297)
.
Colostrum has been demonstrated to enhance athletic performance and
increase lean body mass in humans. Journal Sports Sciences 2003
21:577-88, (Mero et. al. (1997) J. Appl. Physiol. 83: 1144 – 1151;
Buckley, J. D. et. al. (2000) Asian Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 13: 312 – 315;
Sanders, A. J. and Van Gammeren, D. (2000) Nutrition 3: 343 – 247
.
Colostrum has been shown to aid in recovery from Rotavirus induced
diarrhea in children (J Pediatr Gastrenterol Nutr 23(3) 207-12)
.
Colostrum
has shown decreased numbers of upper respiratory tract infections in
men (European J. Nutrition 2003;43:228-32)
Recovery from Cryptospordia induced diarrhea in AIDS patients (GastroEnterol.1990;98;486-489)
Use of colostrum has shown increased immune responses. (Microbiol. Immunol.
2003;47:461-468)
Colostrum reduces damage to the gastrointestinal tract due to the
digestion of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Playford, R. J. et.
al. (1999) Gut 44: 653 – 658 and Playford, R. J. et. al. (2001).
Colostrum also reduces the detrimental effects attributable to
microbial infection, decreases fat metabolism in old animals, reduces
allergies and autoimmune diseases, heart disease, athletic stress,
leaky gut syndrome, cancer, diabetes, and increases wound healing
(Reviewed in Rona, Z. P. (1998) Am. J. Natural Med.)
Colostrum improves liver function by reducing the effects of toxic
metabolites on the liver and provides desirable protein-rich nutrition
for people suffering from a variety of liver disorders (U.S. Pat. No.
5, 710, 132, 1996, Use of bovine colostral milk as a preparation for
the protection of the liver).
Colostrum strengthens the natural defense systems in the mouth
resulting in improved healing of gum disorders (Canadian Pat. No. 2,
175, 319) and aids in the prevention of gingivitis and periodontal
disease** Oral Microbiol Immunol 2002,17:9-15 J. Periodontol.
1994;65:1158-1168** Naturally occurring disease in beagles
PETerna®
is a LACT Innovation
Renewed
interest in the broad benefits of colostrum to promote health in a
variety of species at all stages of life prompted veterinarians and
scientists at LACT (Laboratory for Advanced Colostrum Technologies) to
investigate the possibility of developing a “complete colostrum”
product for pets. To this end, they have developed colostrum
processing techniques to preserve several key components that have
been linked to beneficial health effects, as well as analytical
techniques to measure their concentration. These assays allow our
quality control staff to ensure that PETerna® contains defined levels
of seven key metabolic, immunological, and other factors as summarized
below:
1. Metabolic Factors - Colostrum contains high levels of
numerous growth and cell differentiating factors such as Insulin-like
Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Transforming
Growth Factor Beta (TGF Beta) and Betacellulin.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1) has been shown to be an important
pathway by which growth hormone exerts its metabolic and growth
promoting effects. IGF-1 may be beneficial in combating the metabolic
effects of aging. This growth factor promotes cellular mitogenesis and
differentiation, enhances cellular glucose uptake, and stimulates the
synthesis of proteins. (Review by Pakkanen, R. and Aalto, J., 2000).
It also has anti-obesity effects.
Epidermal
Growth Factor (EGF) promotes epithelial cell growth and
differentiation (Carpenter, G. 1980).
Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF Beta) promotes healing of gastric
ulcers (Am J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 2000;G105-G112)
Betacellulin shows reduced damage to the gut when taking NSAIDs
(Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) (indomethacin) Clin Sci 2001;
100:627-33
2. Immunological and Antimicrobial Factors - Immunoglobulins, lactoferrin,
and lysosymes are the best understood beneficial agents present in
colostrum. These and other antimicrobial agents present in colostrum
work in concert to enhance defenses against microbial attacks of the
gastrointestinal tract (Review by Pakkanen R. and Aalto J., 1997;
Shah, N. P., 2000; van Hooijdonk A.C.M. et. al., 2000; and Steijns J.M.
and van Hooijdonk A.C.M., 2000). The concentration of immunoglobulins
in colostrum is several times higher than that in serum. Colostrum
immunoglobulins are not absorbed into the systemic circulation past
the neonatal period. Antimicrobial proteins such as immunoglobulins,
lysozymes, and lactoferrin resist the digestive enzymes and low pH of
the upper gastrointestinal tract due to the presence of trypsin
inhibitor in PETerna®, thus allowing these proteins to remain
biologically active to help combat enteric infections.
3. Nutritional Factors - Colostrum is designed to be a perfect source of
nutrition and energy for the newborn, and consequently it contains
four times as many minerals, five times as much protein, and five to
ten times as many vitamins (such as vitamins A, B12, riboflavin, folic
acid, and choline) as whole milk. Colostrum is also higher in energy
than milk. In addition, colostrum is a major source of high levels of
vitamin E and selenium, which are known to confer beneficial
anti-oxidant effects. Results of nutritional analysis of PETerna® have
shown that our product contains a minimum of 40% crude protein, a
minimum 20% crude fat, and a maximum of 1% crude fibre.
4. Other Important Factors
Alpha-lactalbumin acts as a co-enzyme in the synthesis of lactose and
is also inmunomodulatory, enhancing interleukin-1 production and
increasing the metabolic activity of the cells of the immune system
(Wong, et. al. 1997 Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 56: 85 – 96).
Trypsin inhibitor prevents the proteolytic degradation of proteins in
the digestive tract and enhances the bioavailability of
co-administered molecules. The presence of this component may protect
other important factors from digestive degradation (Quigley, J. D. et.
al. Supra).
Proline Rich Polypeptides have been shown to improve cognitive
function - Improved mental and cognitive function demonstrated in
people and rats (Behav. Brain Res. 2001;118:201-208)
Pets Enjoy
the Taste of PETerna®
Palatability trials have shown that dogs enjoy the
taste of PETerna®.
In one trial, each of 30 dogs (convenience sample) was offered its
regular ration of commercial dog food, or its regular ration sprinkled
with 5 grams (one teaspoon) of PETerna®
per imperial cup of dog food. Ninety-six percent (29/30) of the dogs
readily consumed the PETerna®-supplemented
ration, and forty-one percent (11/30) demonstrated a clear preference
for it.
Owners of twenty-six out of the 30 dogs enrolled in
the above trial agreed to maintain their dogs in the trial for 30 days
and to record all perceived changes over this time period. Dogs in
this trial phase were fed PETerna®
as a nutritional supplement daily for 30 days, at the dose of 5 grams
(one teaspoon) per day. Even though this was a trial of short
duration, some owners were able to observe changes and reported
noticeable beneficial effects. Overall, 33% of the dog owners
reported benefits:
Three owners reported a clear
improvement in the appetite of their dogs.
Five reported a clear improvement in
hair coat quality.*
One reported improved consistency of
feces.
None of the 26 owners reported any adverse
reactions to PETerna®
after 30 days of feeding. Longer-term studies are being conducted.
*Diminished body odor was frequently reported
Manufacturing and Safety
PETerna®
is manufactured by the Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd. in CFIA
(Canadian Food Inspection Agency)-inspected facilities using approved
outlines of production and quality assurance protocols. The product
contains only colostrum collected after calving from Western Canada
dairy cows using the same standards as for milk for human consumption.
It is heat treated to ensure pasteurization. This is followed by
micro-biological testing to ensure that there is no disease causing
bacteria. PETerna® has demonstrated its safety in several animal trials.
PETerna®
“Defined” Composition is Based on Strict Quality Control
Figure 1 shows an example of the Quality Control
tests performed to assure that PETerna® contains specified levels of the key factors described above. In
this example, the levels of IGF-1 were measured in liquid colostrum
before processing and in PETerna®
after processing in two different production serials. The results
confirm that the pasteurization equivalent heat treatment used, which
ensures that pathogenic bacteria are killed, and the spray drying
process used to produce PETerna® powder, have no significant impact on the concentration of
this important ingredient. Similar assays are performed to confirm
the levels of all other important components of this natural product.
