Bovine Somatotropin (BST or BGH)

Toby A. Ten Eyck

Bovine somatotropin (BST), also known as bovine growth hormone (BGH), is a hormonal product that is part of the natural process of lactation in cows. Since the 1930s, the injection of natural BGH has been used sporadically in dairy cattle to increase lactation rates to meet consumer demands for milk and other dairy products. In the 1980s, it was found that BGH could be produced synthetically, making it more readily available. This BST is referred to as rBST, or recombinant BST—reference to the recombinant DNA or genetic engineering technology used to produce it. Similarly, rBGH is used to refer to recombinant BGH. (The two terms are interchangeable.) This was one of the first uses of molecular genetic engineering, although an artificial rennet used in the making of cheese was developed at about the same time. By the late 1990s, over 1,800 research papers on rBST had been written, reflecting intense ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.