The anticancer activity of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) has been demonstrated in experimental lung, bladder, tongue, colon, and liver carcinogeneses on rats, possibly by suppression of phase I enzymes, such as cytochrome P450 1A2 ( CYP1A2). [69] Also, in another experiment done on hamsters, bovine lactoferrin decreased the incidence of oral cancer by 50%. [70] Currently, bLF is used as an ingredient in yogurt, chewing gums, infant formulas, and cosmetics. [70] Cystic fibrosis [ edit ] Rosenmund A, Kuyas C, Haeberli A (November 1986). "Oxidative radioiodination damage to human lactoferrin". The Biochemical Journal. 240 (1): 239–45. doi: 10.1042/bj2400239. PMC 1147399. PMID 3827843. Drobni P, Naslund J, Evander M. Lactoferrin inhibits human papillomavirus binding and uptake in vitro. Antiviral Res 2004;64:63-8. View abstract.

Jellin JM, Batz F, Hitchens K (2007). Natural Medicines Comprehensive Databas (10thed.). Therapeutic Research Faculty. p.915. ISBN 978-0-9788205-3-4. Tong PL, West NP, Cox AJ, et al. Oral supplementation with bovine whey-derived Ig-rich fraction and lactoferrin improves SCORAD and DLQI in atopic dermatitis. J Dermatol Sci. 2017;85(2):143-146. View abstract. Algahtani FD, Elabbasy MT, Samak MA, Adeboye AA, Yusuf RA, Ghoniem ME. The Prospect of Lactoferrin Use as Adjunctive Agent in Management of SARS-CoV-2 Patients: A Randomized Pilot Study. Medicina (Kaunas) 2021;57(8):842. View abstract. Kruzel ML, Harari Y, Chen CY, Castro GA. The gut. A key metabolic organ protected by lactoferrin during experimental systemic inflammation in mice. Adv Exp Med Biol 1998;443:167-73. View abstract.

Due to Lf's critical and clear influence on many infections, the mechanisms behind this antiviral characteristic must be investigated in detail. The potential mechanisms that Lf might possess can point to evidence and explanation of Lf's prevention effect on SARS-CoV-2. In addition, Lf not only carries potential treatment agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it also has a specialty in recovery with its influence on the overall immune system. In the future, Lf not only can be used as a therapeutic agent, but also can be used as a recovery supplement for patients infected with COVID-19.

Russo R, Karadja E, De Seta F. Evidence-based mixture containing Lactobacillus strains and lactoferrin to prevent recurrent bacterial vaginosis: a double blind, placebo controlled, randomised clinical trial. Benef Microbes. 2019 Feb 8;10(1):19-26. View abstract. Okada S, Tanaka K, Sato T, et al. Dose-response trial of lactoferrin in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Jpn J Cancer Res 2002;93:1063-9. View abstract. Pacora P, Maymon E, Gervasi MT, et al. Lactoferrin in intrauterine infection, human parturition, and rupture of fetal membranes. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:904-10. View abstract. Björmsjö M, Hernell O, Lönnerdal B, Berglund SK. Reducing Iron Content in Infant Formula from 8 to 2 mg/L Does Not Increase the Risk of Iron Deficiency at 4 or 6 Months of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients 2020;13(1):3. View abstract. Zhang GH, Mann DM, Tsai CM. Neutralization of endotoxin in vitro and in vivo by a human lactoferrin-derived peptide. Infect Immun 1999;67:1353-8. View abstract.

Lactoferrin: an Important Element in Host Defense

Non è quindi un caso che la lattoferrina venga sfruttata anche dall'industria alimentare per trattare le carcasse di manzo e proteggerle dalla contaminazione batterica di superficie. Xavier PL, Chaudhari K, Verma PK, Pal SK, Pradeep T (December 2010). "Luminescent quantum clusters of gold in transferrin family protein, lactoferrin exhibiting FRET" (PDF). Nanoscale. 2 (12): van't Land B, van Beek NM, van den Berg JJ, M'Rabet L. Lactoferrin reduces methotrexate-induced small intestinal damage, possibly through inhibition of GLP-2-mediated epithelial cell proliferation. Dig Dis Sci 2004;49:425-33. . View abstract. Mondadori Media S.p.A. - Via Gian Battista Vico 42 - 20123 MILANO, Italia - P.IVA 08009080964 - riproduzione riservata

a b Giansanti F, Rossi P, Massucci MT, Botti D, Antonini G, Valenti P, Seganti L (2002). "Antiviral activity of ovotransferrin discloses an evolutionary strategy for the defensive activities of lactoferrin". Biochemistry and Cell Biology. 80 (1): 125–130. doi: 10.1139/o01-208. PMID 11908636. Odell EW, Sarra R, Foxworthy M, Chapple DS, Evans RW (March 1996). "Antibacterial activity of peptides homologous to a loop region in human lactoferrin". FEBS Letters. 382 (1–2): 175–8. doi: 10.1016/0014-5793(96)00168-8. PMID 8612745. S2CID 30937106. Bharadwaj S, Naidu TA, Betageri GV, Prasadarao NV, Naidu AS (November 2010). "Inflammatory responses improve with milk ribonuclease-enriched lactoferrin supplementation in postmenopausal women". Inflammation Research. 59 (11): 971–8. doi: 10.1007/s00011-010-0211-7. PMID 20473630. S2CID 3180066. Andrés MT, Viejo-Diaz M, Pérez F, Fierro JF (April 2005). "Antibiotic tolerance induced by lactoferrin in clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from cystic fibrosis patients". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 49 (4): 1613–6. doi: 10.1128/aac.49.4.1613-1616.2005. PMC 1068597. PMID 15793153. a b Chandra Mohan KV, Kumaraguruparan R, Prathiba D, Nagini S (September 2006). "Modulation of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes and redox status during chemoprevention of hamster buccal carcinogenesis by bovine lactoferrin". Nutrition. 22 (9): 940–6. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2006.05.017. PMID 16928475.Fujihara T, Hayashi K (1995). "Lactoferrin inhibits herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) infection to mouse cornea". Archives of Virology. 140 (8): 1469–1472. doi: 10.1007/BF01322673. PMID 7661698. S2CID 4396295. Lactoferrin forms a reddish complex with iron; its affinity for iron is 300 times higher than that of transferrin. [24] The affinity increases in weakly acidic medium. This facilitates the transfer of iron from transferrin to lactoferrin during inflammations, when the pH of tissues decreases due to accumulation of lactic and other acids. [25] The saturated iron concentration in lactoferrin in human milk is estimated as 10 to 30% (100% corresponds to all lactoferrin molecules containing 2 iron atoms). It is demonstrated that lactoferrin is involved not only in the transport of iron, zinc and copper, but also in the regulation of their intake. [26] Presence of loose ions of zinc and copper does not affect the iron binding ability of lactoferrin, and might even increase it. Occurrence of iron-containing red protein in bovine milk was reported as early as in 1939; [11] however, the protein could not be properly characterized because it could not be extracted with sufficient purity. Its first detailed studies were reported around 1960. They documented the molecular weight, isoelectric point, optical absorption spectra and presence of two iron atoms per protein molecule. [12] [13] The protein was extracted from milk, contained iron and was structurally and chemically similar to serum transferrin. Therefore, it was named lactoferrin in 1961, though the name lactotransferrin was used in some earlier publications, and later studies demonstrated that the protein is not restricted to milk. The antibacterial action of lactoferrin was also documented in 1961, and was associated with its ability to bind iron. [14] Structure [ edit ] Genes of lactoferrin [ edit ] Rogan MP, Geraghty P, Greene CM, O'Neill SJ, Taggart CC, McElvaney NG (February 2006). "Antimicrobial proteins and polypeptides in pulmonary innate defence". Respiratory Research. 7 (1): 29. doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-7-29. PMC 1386663. PMID 16503962. {{ cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI ( link) Shortly after the emergence of COVID-19 in China, causing a global health crisis on a scale that has not been evidence in the last century ( 8). In the first days of January 2020, the reported number of patients that were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection was reported to be only 41 ( 9). Just within a few weeks, on January 30th, 2020, WHO declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) ( 10). On July 8th, 2020, the coronavirus spread across 216 cities worldwide. Globally, as of 28th June 2022, there have been 542,188,789 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 6,239,275 deaths, reported to WHO.