The role of lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is a nutrient contained in breast milk. It is a multifunctional protein that has been discovered only in recent years and has antibacterial and cell growth-promoting effects. It is because people have discovered its great effects on infants that lactoferrin is added to infant formula today. Although when it comes to the role of lactoferrin, you may not be very clear about it. So, let’s take a detailed look at the role of lactoferrin here.

The effects of lactoferrin can be divided into several categories. In summary, they are antibacterial and antiviral, enhance the body's immune system, inhibit the growth of tumor cells, etc. Therefore, it is now used more and more widely and has begun to be produced as a drug. The specific effects of lactoferrin are as follows:

1. Lactoferrin has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect.

The antibacterial effect of lactoferrin on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria is primarily due to the fact that lactoferrin highly binds iron, causing bacteria to lose iron, a basic nutrient required for growth. In addition, lactoferrin increases the permeability of bacterial cell membranes through the strong cationic binding region at the amino terminal, allowing bacterial lipopolysaccharide to seep out of the outer membrane, achieving a direct bactericidal effect.

2. Lactoferrin has antiviral effects.

Lactoferrin reduces damage to human liver cells by inhibiting the entry of viruses into cells.

3. Lactoferrin has antioxidant effects.

Lactoferrin can inhibit the production of thiobarbituric acid and malondialdehyde produced by iron-induced lipid peroxidation. In addition, bovine lactoferrin can degrade transfer RNA in yeast, has ribonuclease activity, and can inhibit the formation of superoxide ions. All of these can reduce the damage of free radicals in the human body to the elastin in the arterial walls, thereby achieving the purpose of preventing and treating atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

4. Lactoferrin has anti-cancer effects and balances iron with other trace elements.

Lactoferrin plays an important preventive and therapeutic role in supplementing the body's iron deficiency, reducing iron overload caused by iron deposition in the body, and a series of clinical diseases caused by it. In addition, lactoferrin has a chemopreventive effect on gastrointestinal tumors, such as colon cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, and pancreatic cancer, and can inhibit the tumor metastasis caused by them. Finally, lactoferrin plays a positive role in initiating the initial activation response of the host defense system, regulating the impact of changes in the proportion of different types of lymphocytes on the body's immune response, improving immunity, preventing hepatitis C virus infection, and treating chronic hepatitis.

5. Lactoferrin regulates the body's immune response.

Regulation of the body's immune system is due to its inhibitory effect which is related to lactoferrin saturation. In addition, studies have shown that lactoferrin has a regulatory effect on the maturation of antibody-producing T cells and the proportion of natural killer cells in lymphocytes.

6. Lactoferrin regulates the absorption of iron in the gastrointestinal tract.

Ferritin can bind iron with high affinity and reversibly through its two iron-binding regions at the amino and carboxyl ends, and maintain the iron element within a wide pH range to complete the absorption and utilization of iron in duodenal cells.

7. Synergistic effect of lactoferrin and drugs.

Lactoferrin can work synergistically with a variety of antibiotics and antiviral drugs, reduce drug dosage, and reduce the damage of antibiotics or antifungal preparations to human liver and kidney functions. At the same time, it enhances the sensitivity of the microorganisms in the body to drugs.

Because lactoferrin has such a wide range of effects, many scientists are now studying how to apply it in clinical practice to prevent and treat some diseases. I would also like to advise all expectant mothers that the nutrients contained in breast milk cannot be achieved by any expensive milk powder, so if conditions permit, it is best to breastfeed for the healthy growth of your baby.