Whey Combats Infectious Diarrhea 39808Whey Combats Infectious Diarrhea

Whey Combats Infectious DiarrheaPALMERSTON NORTH, New Zealand--Intake of whey protein concentrate (WPC) helps fight rotavirus-induced diarrhea, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Nutrition (135, 6:1470-74, 2005).Mice were administered a proprietary whey protein concentrate (WPC IMUCARE<\#170>, supplied by Fonterra Brands), or a control protein bovine serum albumin by gavage (tube) once daily from the age of 9 to 17 days, and were infected with murine rotavirus at the age of 11 days. Disease symptoms were graded as mild, moderate or severe, and viral shedding was measured in fecal samples during the post-infection period. Severe diarrhea occurred in 63 percent of control mice over a four-day period, and in 36 percent of animals fed proprietary WPC, for two days. Although the mean viral load did not differ between test groups, the proportion of mice shedding high levels of the virus in feces following infection was significantly lower in the proprietary whey protein concentrate group than in the control group on the 13th, 16th, and 17th days, and significantly higher on the 14th day. Rotavirus-specific antibody levels in serum and gut fluid were similar in both test groups. The researchers concluded prophylactic treatment with WPC IMUCARE may reduce rotaviral disease by decreasing the prevalence of severe diarrhea and by decreasing the period during which severe symptoms and high viral shedding occur.