Lactoferrin, a Great Wall of host-defence?

Tryptophan- and arginine-rich antimicrobial peptides: Anti-infectives with great potential

With the increasing prevalence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria, there is a need to design synthetic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are effective and selective for bacteria, i.e. non-toxic to mammalian cells. One design strategy, namely the use of tryptophan- and arginine-rich AMPs, is rooted in the study of natural AMPs that are composed mainly of these amino acids, such as lactoferricin, tritrpticin, and puroindoline. A number of important studies on these AMPs by the Vogel group are reviewed here. More recent work on W-/R-rich peptides is also presented. The examples show that these peptides represent anti-infectives with great potential.

To Boost or to Reset: The Role of Lactoferrin in Energy Metabolism

Many pathological conditions, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and cancer, are associated with abnormal metabolic states. The progressive loss of metabolic control is commonly characterized by insulin resistance, atherogenic dyslipidemia, inflammation, central obesity, and hypertension, a cluster of metabolic dysregulations usually referred to as the "metabolic syndrome". Recently, nutraceuticals have gained attention for the generalized perception that natural substances may be synonymous with health and balance, thus becoming favorable candidates for the adjuvant treatment of metabolic dysregulations. Among nutraceutical proteins, lactoferrin (Lf), an iron-binding glycoprotein of the innate immune system, has been widely recognized for its multifaceted activities and high tolerance. As this review shows, Lf can exert a dual role in human metabolism, either boosting or resetting it under physiological and pathological conditions, respectively. Lf consumption is safe and is associated with several benefits for human health, including the promotion of oral and gastrointestinal homeostasis, control of glucose and lipid metabolism, reduction of systemic inflammation, and regulation of iron absorption and balance. Overall, Lf can be recommended as a promising natural, completely non-toxic adjuvant for application as a long-term prophylaxis in the therapy for metabolic disorders, such as insulin resistance/type II diabetes and the metabolic syndrome.

Perspective: A proposal on solutions of modern supply chain construction for lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is an iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family that is found in most bodily fluids of mammals and has a variety of biological and beneficial functions, with great importance in health enhancement as a supplement for humans and other animals. More than 300 t of lactoferrin were produced in 2021, and this number is expected to grow yearly by 10% to 12%, to over 580 t in 2030. With new and important functions of lactoferrin being revealed and studied, focus on its industrial production and application is increasing accordingly. However, lactoferrin is mainly sourced from cheese whey or skim milk by cation-exchange column chromatography, which is a costly and low-quality method. A potential solution for lactoferrin global supply chain construction is proposed in this article as a complement to traditional routes of purification from whey or skim milk. The large-scale production of lactoferrin, mainly by recombinant yeast, mammal, and grain systems, as well as the market niche and product design, are discussed.