Proteolysis of vaginally administered bovine lactoferrin: clearance, inter-subject variability, and implications for clinical dosing.

This report describes proteolytic fragmentation and clearance of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) upon intravaginal administration in premenopausal women. Tablet formulations (MTbLF) containing 300 mg of bLF progressed through three phases: Pre-Dissolution, Dissolution, and Washout, over a 30-h time course. Tablets dissolved slowly, replenishing intact 80 kDa bLF in vaginal fluid (VF) as proteolysis occurred.

Characterization of proteolytic degradation products of vaginally administered bovine lactoferrin.

When bovine lactoferrin (bLF) contacts human vaginal fluid (VF) it is subjected to proteolytic degradation. This report describes fragmentation patterns of bLF dosed vaginally in clinical trials or incubated ex vivo with VF. A consensus pattern of fragments was observed in samples from different women.

Lactoferrin-Loaded Alginate Microparticles to Target Clostridioides difficile Infection.

Some forms of bovine lactoferrin (bLf) are effective in delaying Clostridioides difficile growth and preventing toxin production. However, therapeutic use of bLf may be limited by protein stability issues. The objective of this study was to prepare and evaluate colon-targeted, pH-triggered alginate microparticles loaded with bioactive bLf and to evaluate their anti-C difficile defense properties in vitro.

Minimizing the impact of Joule heating as a prerequisite for the reliable analysis of metal-protein complexes by capillary electrophoresis.

Herein we report on a drastic release of metal ions from the Fe-bound transferrin, and Fe- or Mn-bound lactoferrin, observed upon the increase in the separation voltage during CE-based analysis. To verify whether this process is caused directly by electric field, we developed an Isothermal Voltage Increase approach (IVI), which is the extension of methods reported by Krylov et al. IVI ensures isothermal conditions while increasing separation voltage by a hydrodynamic pushing of the injected sample to the actively cooled capillary section, combined with a rationale choice of cooling temperature, dependent on the value of current.

The impact of lactoferrin with different levels of metal saturation on the intestinal epithelial barrier function and mucosal inflammation.

Translocation of bacteria, primarily Gram-negative pathogenic flora, from the intestinal lumen into the circulatory system leads to sepsis. In newborns, and especially very low birth weight infants, sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The results of recently conducted clinical trials suggest that lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein that is abundant in mammalian colostrum and milk, may be an effective agent in preventing sepsis in newborns.

Selective separation of ferric and non-ferric forms of human transferrin by capillary micellar electrokinetic chromatography.

The previously published method allowing the separation of non-ferric (iron-free) and ferric (iron-saturated) forms of human serum transferrin via capillary electrophoresis has been further developed. Using a surface response methodology and a three-factorial Doehlert design we have established a new optimized running buffer composition: 50mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.5, 22.

Separation of iron-free and iron-saturated forms of transferrin and lactoferrin via capillary electrophoresis performed in fused-silica and neutral capillaries.

A capillary electrophoresis-based method for the cost-effective and high efficient separation of iron-free and iron-saturated forms of two members of transferrin family: transferrin and lactoferrin has been developed. The proposed qualitative method relying on the SDS application allowed us to separate iron-free and iron-saturated forms of these proteins, as well as human serum albumin, used as an internal standard. Owing to the distinct migration times under established conditions, the combination of transferrin and lactoferrin assays within a single analytical procedure was feasible.

A high-throughput method for the quantification of iron saturation in lactoferrin preparations.

Lactoferrin is considered as a part of the innate immune system that plays a crucial role in preventing bacterial growth, mostly via an iron sequestration mechanism. Recent data show that bovine lactoferrin prevents late-onset sepsis in preterm very low birth weight neonates by serving as an iron chelator for some bacterial strains; thus, it is very important to control the iron saturation level during diet supplementation. An accurate estimation of lactoferrin iron saturation is essential not only because of its clinical applications but also for a wide range of biochemical experiments.