Milk growth factors as health products: Some technological aspects

Bovine milk and colostrum contain growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor IGF-I, IGF-II, transforming growth factor TGF-β1, TGF-β2, epidermal growth factor EGF, basic fibroblast growth factor bFGF and platelet-derived growth factor PDGF. A number of methodologies for the extraction of milk growth factors from milk, colostrum or whey have been developed. Cation-exchange chromatography has been widely used because of the basic nature of the growth factors. Also, microfiltration has been used for the concentration of some growth factors from colostrum, while ultrafiltration was successful only in separating IGF-I from IGF-II in whey. Growth factor extracts from milk, colostrum or whey have been used as therapeutic preparations for wound healing and in the treatment of inflammatory gut disorders. More recent applications are related to bone tissue regeneration and treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis.