Biologically active casein peptides implicated in immunomodulation.
Maternal milk should not only be considered as a nutrient, but also as a protecting agent against aggressions from the neonate's new environment. Breast-feeding facilitates transmission of a passive immunity by multifunctional factors which have a direct effect on the neonate's resistance to bacterial and viral infections. Among these factors are the main milk proteins, the caseins: during enzymic digestion of human and bovine caseins, immunomodulating peptides are released. Corresponding synthetic peptides stimulated in vitro phagocytic activity of murine and of human macrophages and exerted in vivo a protective effect against Klebsiella pneumoniae infection of mice. These data suggest that casein peptides may exert a stimulating function on the immune system of the newborn.
Migliore-Samour
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Laboratoire des Protéines, UA CNRS 1188, Université de Paris V, France.
Floc'h
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F
Jollès
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P
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D002364:Caseins / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000276:immunology; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae; D051379:Mice; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects*
D002364:Caseins; D009842:Oligopeptides