An impact of lactoferrin, serum albumin and secretory immunoglobulin A in actimicrobial activity of breast milk whey

Abstract

The contribution of the antimicrobial activity of sIgA, lactoferrin, α-lactalbumin, serum albumin, and lysozyme to the total antimicrobial activity of serum was evaluated. 66 breast milk samples from healthy women aged from 23 to 45 years collected at different periods of lactation were studied. It was found that as the lactation period increased, not only the total antimicrobial activity (r = - 0.944) decreased, but also the activity of the low molecular weight fraction containing the sum of antimicrobial peptides (r = - 0.950). The median lactoferrin level varied from 3.46 mg/ml in colostrum to 0.94 mg/ml one year after the onset of lactation and correlated with serum activity (r = 0.616). The concentration of sIgA was maximal in the serum of colostrum (5.01 mg/ml) and significantly reduced in mature milk, remaining approximately at the same level in subsequent periods of lactation (1.0 mg/ml). Serum albumin concentration significantly decreased with increase of lactation period (from 5.52 to 4.68 mg/ml) and correlated with serum activity (r = 0.589). Evaluation of the effect of the purified α-lactalbumin on C. albicans cells in the range of 5-20 mg/ ml by spectrophotometry and microscopy showed the absence of fungicidal activity. At the same time, purified lactoferrin, IgA, lysozyme, and serum albumin demonstrated a direct fungicidal effect. The activity of the IgA preparation at a concentration relevant to the sIgA content in the serum of first day colostrum was 50.0%, and in the serum after 12 months - 31.0%; lactoferrin - 26.7% and 3.4%; serum albumin - 15.0% and 17.7%; lysozyme - 0.1% and 1.8%. Thus, the sum of the activities of these polypeptides at concentrations typical for the first-day colostrum was 91.7%, which is comparable to the total activity of this serum - 82.4%. The sum of the activities of these polypeptides, typical for 12 months of lactation, was 53.9%, and the total serum activity relevant to this period was 64.5%. Therefore, IgA and lactoferrin contribute the most significant antimicrobial activity in the serum of colostrum, whereas after 12 months of breastfeeding IgA and serum albumin become most significant.

Whey and Cow Milk: Dairy Products Useful for Crop Protection

“…Finally, with regard to the modes of action involved in the properties of crop protection, many directions are known or envisaged. The presence of specific molecules such as luciferin (Arzumanian, 2022), but also the vehicle of microorganisms, as well as the effects of pH are relatively described without one or the other of these tracks being preponderant or decisive or additive or even synergistic. Recently, these dairy products show renewed interest in plant protection, as co-formulant (Riseh 2023;Hussam, 2023) or directly as PPP (Wulf, 2023).…”