after giving birth, colostrum is rich in antibodies, growth factors, and nutrients essential for newborn development. Foals require good quality colostrum in the first hours of life to ensure an adequate transfer of passive immunity.
Stud farms often maintain a supply of high-quality colostrum by collecting and freezing some from donor mares.
However, individual mare owners have more limited options. Commercial products like dried colostrum powder, usually made from processed cow colostrum, can provide some level of IgG to foals, but are generally not considered equivalent to mare colostrum in terms of quality and effectiveness.
Further research and development of equine-specific colostrum products, including lyophilized (freeze-dried) mare colostrum, may offer better alternatives for ensuring foal health and immunity.
Research by Thatyane Carla de Lima and colleagues, in Brazil, compared the quality of equine colostrum after freezing and lyophilisation, evaluating IgG concentration (using Simple Radial Immunodiffusion, SRID, and Brix refractometry) and the physicochemical characteristics of equine colostrum post-freezing and lyophilization. A report of their work is published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science
Thirty-one pregnant Quarter Horse mares participated in the study. Colostrum collected from these mares was divided into two samples: one for freezing and one for lyophilization.
The research team measured the IgG concentration of both frozen and lyophilized colostrum by SRID, (the reference standard test), and Brix refractometry (a technique widely used for estimating colostrum quality in cattle.)
Additionally, they evaluated properties such as pH, total protein (TP), fat, lactose, salts, total solids (TS), and density. They also tested the effect of reconstitution on the lyophilized colostrum.
They found no significant differences (P > 0.05) in IgG, fat, lactose, salts, TS, density, and pH between colostrum samples before and after lyophilization. Lyophilization resulted in a minor reduction (6.55%) in IgG concentration as measured by SRID.
However, they did find a significant difference in the average Brix score and total protein, indicating that lyophilization alters some colostrum characteristics.
The results suggest lyophilization as a viable method for mare colostrum conservation, to ensure foals receive the essential nutrients and antibodies for a healthy start. It offers practical benefits, including long-term storage without refrigeration and easy transportation.
The authors suggest that further research, such as in vivo studies to evaluate the product's acceptance and the absorption of immunoglobulins, is recommended.
For more details, see:
de Lima TC, de Sobral GG, de França Queiroz AES, et al.
Characterization of lyophilized equine colostrum.
J Equine Vet Sci. 2024;132:104975.
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