Bovine colostrum antibodies against human viral antigens

Background: Bovine colostrum (BC) is the first milk produced by a cow postpartum. It is a unique substance rich in antibodies that protects the body against bacterial and viral pathogens. BC significantly contributes to human nutrition and health, as its effectiveness against certain human viruses is well-studied. Locally, cows are vaccinated with a polyvalent inactivated vaccine against viral diarrhea, bovine escherichiosis, bovine rotavirus (BRoV), and bovine coronavirus (BCoV). BC contains high levels of antibodies against these antigens, which provide advanced immune protection to the body. Methods: The study's goal was to determine whether BC fractions from cows contain antibodies with cross-reactivity against recombinant human proteins represented by receptor-binding domain (RBD) and nucleocapsid (NP) proteins of various strains of human SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, including the Wuhan, Lambda, Mu, and Omicron variants. This study was conducted using the ELISA method. Results: Specific antibodies against BRoV and BCoV were detected in significant amounts. The study found that antibodies against all the variants of human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 studied were present in the BC evaluated. Furthermore, antibodies produced from the Rotateq vaccine, containing human and bovine hybrid rotavirus strains, were present. Conclusions: Detection of antibodies in the early milk of cows indicates a potential of BC as a food supplement for some human viral diseases due to the presence of conserved epitopes shared by human and bovine rotaviruses and coronaviruses. Keywords: bovine colostrum, antibodies, heterologous immune response, antigens, functional food, antigen