Evolution of immune colostrum components during the first 10 hours after partum

Abstract

The aim of present study was to investigate the early evolution of immune parameters on colostrum during the first 10 hours after delivery and in colostrum fractions. Ten Majorera breed dairy goats were milked at partum, and after that an intravenous injection of 2 IU of Oxytocin was administered for recovery the residual colostrum. Animals were milked every hour during 10 hours postpartum. Colostrum samples were obtained from each milking, and IgG, IgM and Chitotriosidase activity (ChT) were measure using ELISA for immunoglobulins and Fluorimetric assay for ChT. IgG colostrum concentration was the highest in the first milking (40.0 mg/ml), in the residual colostrum (39.7 mg/ml) and in milking at 1 hour after partum (37.2 mg/ml), dropping sharply until get 3.8 mg/ml at 10 hours postpartum. IgM colostrum concentration was higher in the first milking (1.8 mg/ml), in the residual colostrum (2.1 mg/ml) and milking at 1 hour after partum (2.0 mg/ml), dropping fastly until get 0.2 mg/ml at 10 hours postpartum. Similar evolution was developed by ChT colostrum activity. ChT colostrum activity was higher in the first milking (9302 nmol/ml/h), in the residual colostrum (9287 nmol/ml/h) and in milking at 1 hour after partum (9123 nmol/ml/h), dropping fastly until get 3250 nmol/ml/h at 10 hours postpartum. In a preliminary conclusion, the extended management practice that get the first and second colostrum milking to store for the offspring might be wrong due to fastly drop of immune components in the first 10 hours after delivery.