AOAC SPIFAN Stakeholder Panel Meeting Book (September 7, 2019)

Biological function of lactoferrin

X LF is member of the ‘transferrin’ family of iron binding proteins X They control the level of free iron ions in the body, protecting it from damage that is initiated by these free iron ions X It is an important component of the innate immune system X LF is characterized by its antimicrobial, anti-

inflammatory, antitumoral and immunomodulatory activities

Kanwar et al, 2015

Applications of lactoferrin

X It is found in significantly higher concentrations in human milk than in bovine milk, suggesting that it is likely to be of particular importance for the development of the human infant X Bovine lactoferrin is recognized as functional food ingredient and has been used in a wide variety of products such as infant formula, probiotics, supplemental tablets, pet food, and cosmetics and as a natural solubilizer of iron in food X To mimic the nutritional properties and biological functionality of human milk, addition of lactoferrin to infant formula is of interest to infant formula manufacturers

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