Biomedical Research 2011; 22 (1): 18-22 Modulation of interferon gamma response through orally administered bovine colostrum in active adolescent boys Mahenderan Appukutty 1,2 , Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan 3* , Kalavathy Ramasamy 4 , Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed 4 , Mohd Ismail Noor 1 , Nik Shanita Safii 1 , Karuthan Chinna 5 , Poh Bee Koon 1 1 Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia 2 Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia 3 Faculty of Medicine and Health, International Medical University, Malaysia 4 Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia 5 Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Key words: Bovine colostrum: Dietary intervention, Adolescent male, Immune response Accepted October 01 2010 Abstract Bovine colostrum (BC) is a rich source of bioactive com- ponents reported to have health promoting effects. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of six-week supplementation of BC on the production of gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) by mitogen-stimulated periph- eral blood leucocytes (PBL) in active adolescent male. Subjects were recruited from the students who were un- der-going regular athletics training. The subjects were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The control group (n=18) received daily supplementation of skim milk while the experimental group (n=18) re- ceived bovine colostrum (20 g/day). Fasting venous blood samples were collected on day-0 and day-42 for measurement of IFN-γ produced by concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated PBL. Interferon-γ levels were quantified using ELISA. Changes in IFN-γ levels from baseline to endpoints for both groups were compared and presented as mean (± SD). Although baseline levels of cytokine concentrations were similar in both groups, there was a decreasing trend in IFN-γ production by the mitogen- stimulated PBL from subjects who received the bovine colostrum supplement compared to controls. The find- ings of the present study suggest that oral supplementa- tion of bovine colostrum for a period of 6 weeks may modulate in vitro IFN-γ concentration. Introduction Colostrum is a natural product that provides passive im- munity against a host of microorganisms in breast-fed newborns [1]. Bovine colostrum (BC) is reported to con- tain basic nutrients such as carbohydrates, fat, amino ac- ids, vitamins and minerals as well as a mixture of bioac tive components postulated to boost the immune system [2]. The immunomodulatory components of BC includes cytokines that promote both cell-mediated (Th1) and hu- moral (Th2) immunity such as interleukin 1-beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IFN-γ, and tumour necrosis factor- alpha (TNF-α) [3]. Interferon-γ coordinates a diverse array of cellular programs through transcriptional regula- tion of immunologically relevant genes and it is reported that the bovine colostrum contains high levels of IFN- γ [3]. It has been suggested that IFN-γ orchestrates leuco- cyte attraction and directs growth, maturation, and differ- entiation of many cell types [4-6]. In addition, IFN-γ has been shown to enhance killing by natural killer (NK) cells [7] as well as regulate B-cell functions such as immu- noglobulin (Ig) production and class-switching [4,8]. Bovine colostrum has been well accepted as a functional food supplement over the past decade. Scientific evidence suggests beneficial effects of BC supplements in improv- ing body composition and athletic performance [9]. However, there is a lack of published evidence on the immunomodulatory effects of orally administered BC in active male adolescents. Hence, the present study was designed to assess immune response enhancing effects of BC supplement and specifically to study the enhancement in IFN-γ production by mitogen-stimulated PBL in the active adolescent males. Materials and Methods Recruitment of subjects A total of 40 active adolescent male volunteers aged be- tween 13 to 16 years-old were recruited from the Bukit Jalil Sports School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The inclu-