Colostrum is the first secretion of the mammary gland produced after birth, differentiating itself from mature milk because it has a higher concentration of proteins, immunoglobulins, vitamins, minerals, bactericides (lactoferrin, lysozyme and lactoperoxidase) and growth factors. The use of bovine colostrum for human consumption has been registered for many years in food or in medicinal therapies, and several studies have been conducted with the objective of evaluating its benefits in human food supplementation. The results point to improvements in cases of gastrointestinal, respiratory, inflammation, and bone development diseases, among others. Its commercialization currently takes place in physical or online markets in some countries. However, its commercialization for human consumption in Brazil is very recent, placing bovine colostrum as a new functional food option for consumers.

Four lactating Holstein cows, fitted with T-type cannulas in the proximal duodenum were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design to study the effects of sorghum grain processing on site of digestion of nutrients. Diets were steam-rolled corn, dry-rolled sorghum, steam-flaked sorghum, and an equal mixture of steam-flaked and dry-rolled sorghum as 43% of DM in a TMR (35:65, ratio of forage to concentrate). Intake and duodenal starch for all diets averaged 6.8 and 2.1 kg/d. Apparent total tract and ruminal digestibilities of starch for the respective diets averaged 81, 60, 70, and 60 and 97, 85, 91, and 89%. Starch digestibilities in the intestine were higher for steam-flaked than for dry-rolled or mixed sorghum (83 vs. 63 and 61%). Consistent with less postruminal passage of starch, cows fed steam-flaked sorghum had higher fecal pH than did cows on other treatments. No effects of diet occurred on NDF or ADF digestibilities. Compared with dry rolling of sorghum, steam flaking increased the digestibility of starch in the rumen from 60 to 81% and in the small intestine from 63 to 83%, increasing digestible starch intake 9% (6.4 vs. 5.9 kg/d). Values for steam-rolled corn were intermediate. Microbial protein in the rumen was not significantly altered by diet.

The objectives of this study were to characterize and quantify the microbial populations in guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cultivar Mombasa) harvested at different regrowth intervals (35, 45, 55, and 65 d). The chemical composition and fermentation profile of silages (after 60 d) with or without the addition of a microbial inoculant were also analyzed. Before ensiling, samples of the plants were used for the isolation and identification of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the epiphytic microbiota. A 4 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (4 regrowth intervals × with/without inoculant) was used in a completely randomized design with 3 replications. Based on the morphological and biochemical characteristics and the carbohydrate fermentation profile, Lactobacillus plantarum was found to be the predominant specie of LAB in guinea grass forage. Linear increases were detected in the dry matter (DM) content and concentrations of neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent insoluble nitrogen, and DM recovery as well as linear reductions in the concentrations of crude protein and NH3-N with regrowth interval. Additionally, linear reductions for gas and effluent losses in silages were detected with increasing regrowth interval. These results demonstrate that guinea grass plants harvested after 55 d of regrowth contain a LAB population sufficiently large to ensure good fermentation and increase the DM recovery. The use of microbial inoculant further enhanced the fermentation of guinea grass at all stages of regrowth by improving the DM recovery.