EN
The most intense adaptive changes to the extrauterine environment occur during the first week of calves’ lives. These changes involve many vital systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. Bovine colostrum contains various essential nutrients and supplies newborn calves with energy and also bioactive factors. Intestinal absorption of these molecules and its further passage into the bloodstream is only possible within the first 24 hours of life. Thus, the exact time of the first colostrum intake is crucial for the newborn calf, as it initiates a number of physiological processes, which results in, e.g., increased synthesis of endogenous proteins. The placenta of bovine species prevents the effective transfer of maternal plasma proteins to the conceptus, thus newborn calves are considered as a suitable model for the study of blood plasma protein profile changes with age and in response to the food intake. This review is intended to discuss the present state of knowledge within this subject.