[Antimicrobial activity of human colostrum against enteropathogens. Preliminary study]

The antimicrobial activity of the colostrum serum from ten women has been evaluated. The activity against Escherichia coli, Shigella sonnei and Klebsiella pneumonia at three different bacterial populations was determined (1 x 10(4), 1 x 10(5) and 1 x 10(6) UFC/ml). Antimicrobial activity against the three strains was found. Bactericidal activity was observed to inocula of 1 x 10(4) UFC/ml in 8/10 sera against E. coli, in 6/10 sera against S. sonnei, and in 3/10 sera against K. pneumonia; in the rest of the cases, sera were bacteriostatic. With inocula of 1 x 10(5) UFC/ml there was bactericidal activity in 4/10 sera against E. coli and S. sonnei and in 1/10 against K. pneumonia. Lastly, with inocula of 1 x 10(6) UFC/ml there was bactericidal activity in 4/10 sera against E. coli, 1/10 against S. sonnei and none against K. pneumoniae. The results suggest that because of the antimicrobial properties of human milk the risk of intestinal infections by enteropathogens is less.