The unexplored bioactivity of colostrum

加拿大乳制品行业产生了超过60亿美元的现金收入，销售额在过去十年中增长了26%。然而，在农场的所有动物中，小牛的发病率和死亡率最高，消化系统疾病占疾病的一半以上，占生命早期死亡的三分之一。因此，生命早期的消化系统疾病对乳制品生产商来说是一个重大的经济损失，对动物的健康和福利构成严重威胁，从而对加拿大乳制品行业的盈利能力构成威胁。初乳是犊牛产犊后产生的第一种分泌物，含有多种生物活性分子，这些分子在促进犊牛肠道功能和发育方面具有未被认识到的潜力，从而降低消化系统发病率。本研究项目的具体目标是揭示初乳尚未开发的生物活性，并最大限度地利用初乳来促进奶牛早期的发育和健康。研究目标将集中在确定奶牛准备因素如何影响初乳生物活性化合物的特征，特定初乳生物活性化合物如何影响小牛的发育和代谢，以及在生命第一天后优化初乳使用的策略，以最大限度地提高长期健康和生产力。这些目标将使干牛和初乳的生产价值最大化，并将向行业利益相关者提供知识，以改善小牛的健康和发育，并降低目前生产动物的高发病率、死亡率和抗菌素使用率。因此，该项目将增加消费者对加拿大乳制品行业的信任和奶牛场的经济效率，从而确保加拿大乳制品行业未来的可持续性和盈利能力。

The Canadian dairy industry generates more than $6 billion in cash receipts, with sales increasing by 26% over the past decade. However, amongst all animals on farm dairy calves suffer from the highest rates of morbidity and mortality, with digestive disorders accounting for over half of illnesses and one-third of deaths during early life. Therefore, digestive disorders during early life represent a significant economic loss to dairy producers and pose a serious threat to animal health and welfare, and thus the profitability of the Canadian dairy industry. Colostrum, the first secretion produced after calving, contains a wide array of bioactive molecules that have an unrealized potential to promote optimal gut function and development in young calves and in-turn reduce the rates of digestive morbidity. The specific goal of this research project is to uncover the unexplored bioactivity of colostrum and to maximize strategic colostrum use to stimulate development and health in dairy calves during early life. The research objectives will focus on determining how prepartum cow factors influence the profile of colostrum bioactive compounds, how specific colostrum bioactive compounds impact calf development and metabolism, and strategies to optimize colostrum use after the first day of life to maximize long-term health and productivity. These objectives will result in maximizing the production value of dry cattle and colostrum, and will deliver knowledge to industry stakeholders that will improve calf health and development and reduce the current high rates of morbidity, mortality and antimicrobial use in production animals. As such, this project will increase both consumer trust in the Canadian dairy industry and economic efficiency of dairy farms, thereby ensuring the future sustainability and profitability of the Canadian dairy industry.