Lactoferrin—The Health-Promoting Properties and Contemporary Application with Genetic Aspects

Abstract

The aim of the study is to present a review of literature data on lactoferrin’s characteristics, applications, and multiple health-promoting properties, with special regard to nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics. The article presents a new approach to food ingredients. Nowadays, lactoferrin is used as an ingredient in food but mainly in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. In the European Union, bovine lactoferrin has been legally approved for use as a food ingredient since 2012. However, as our research shows, it is not widely used in food production. The major producers of lactoferrin and the few available food products containing it are listed in the article. Due to anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour activity, the possibility of lactoferrin use in disease prevention (as a supportive treatment in obesity, diabetes, as well as cardiovascular diseases, including iron deficiency and anaemia) is reported. The possibility of targeted use of lactoferrin is also presented. The use of nutrition genomics, based on the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes, for example, FTO, PLIN1, TRAP2B, BDNF, SOD2, SLC23A1, LPL, and MTHFR, allows for the effective stratification of people and the selection of the most optimal bioactive nutrients, including lactoferrin, whose bioactive potential cannot be considered without taking into account the group to which they will be given.

Green approaches for biofilm eradication: Enhancing cleaning efficiency

“…Its simplicity, broad activity spectrum, and low potential for bacterial resistance make it an advantageous alternative to traditional process/chemicals. Additionally, crude preparations from natural products, such as milk‐based isracidin, MicrogardTM, lactoferrin, and lactoferricins, have been approved for use in the food industry in many countries (Anumudu et al, 2021; Benkerroum, 2010; Jańczuk et al, 2022). These preparations are easier to approve due to their natural origin and established safety profiles.…”

Colostrum and Lactoferrin Protect against Side Effects of Therapy with Antibiotics, Anti-inflammatory Drugs and Steroids, and Psychophysical Stress: A Comprehensive Review

“…Lactoferrins from various species have similar amino acid sequences and similar tertiary structures. This high interspecies homology indicates a similar function for this protein in different mammalian species [ 60 , 65 , 66 , 73 , 74 ].…”

“…Over the past 60 years of intensive research, as many as 20 different physiological activities of LF have been described [ 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. In this article, we will mainly focus on LF, with particular attention being paid to its actions in the amelioration of side effects caused by antibiotic and NSAID therapies, as well as psychophysical stress, so LF activity is described below in some detail.…”

“…Other properties of LF, such as antistress, hypotensive and analgesic effects, are equally important. All of these effects of LF positively affect many aspects of our health, playing a particularly important role in the development of newborns and infants, as well as in older patients treated for a variety of infections (including bacteremia and sepsis) and during convalescence after serious diseases, surgery or chemotherapy [ 60 , 67 , 68 , 70 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ]. LF may be regarded as a “biological drug” which is active by systemic (oral, intravenous, intramuscular and subcutaneous) and topical (on mucous membranes and skin) administration [ 60 , 61 , 62 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 70 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ].…”

“…Evidence from preclinical and clinical studies indicates that bovine-milk-derived LF has good bioavailability and a good safety profile with no serious side effects, both after systemic and topical use in humans and animals [ 73 , 77 , 78 , 83 , 84 ]. The protein is widely available and relatively cheap because it is isolated from milk in a well-established, standardized, large-scale manufacturing process [ 73 , 85 ]. The application of bovine LF has been approved by various agencies, such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US [ 86 , 87 ].…”