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Lactoferrin Formulations for Biomedical Applications

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2023) | Viewed by 8840

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anca Roşeanu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Biochemistry, Romanian Academy, 060031 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: lactoferrin; lactoferrin-derived peptides and complexes in pathological processes; biological characterization of drug delivery systems and composite materials

Prof. Dr. Robert W. Evans

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Guest Editor

School of Engineering and Design, Brunel University, London UB8 3PH, UK
Interests: lactoferrin; proteins; protein structure; peptides

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lactoferrin (Lf), a multifunctional protein of the transferrin family, present in mammalian secretions, was reported to exert antimicrobial, antitumoral, antioxidant, and iron transport as well as storage activities, in addition to playing a role in the modulation of the immune system and the inflammatory response. Furthermore, lactoferrin alone or combined with other bioactive compounds has been found to have therapeutic potential in the field of bone tissue engineering. These findings have expectedly led to the identification of Lf as a potential and highly attractive therapeutic compound. Lactoferrin of bovine origin has been approved by the USA’s Food and Drug Administration as well as the European Food Safety Authority as “Generally Recognized as Safe” due to its beneficial effects and highly tolerated administration in humans. Interestingly, it is the only protein to which a congress is dedicated every 2 years, a good opportunity for researchers to share their knowledge on the field of lactoferrin functions and applications.

Its practical application is, however, limited due to gastric digestion and low intestinal absorption in cases of oral or intra-articular administration. These drawbacks can be overcome by including Lf, either alone or in combination with other biological compounds, in special formulations able to increase protein stability and protection against physiological barriers as well as enhance its efficiency of action.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight some of the most recent and most significant contributions to the field of lactoferrin formulations through a combination of original research papers, communications, and review articles. In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: lactoferrin formulations and their physical–chemical characterization, in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, biological effect, and application in infection, inflammation, cancer, and bone tissue regeneration processes.

Dr. Anca Roşeanu
Prof. Robert W. Evans
Guest Editors

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Keywords

lactoferrin
lactoferrin-derived peptides
lactoferrin formulations’ physical–chemical properties
cytotoxicity; biocompatibility
biological effect in vitro and in vivo

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustained Delivery of Lactoferrin Using Poloxamer Gels for Local Bone Regeneration in a Rat Calvarial Defect Model

by Young Eun Park, Kaushik Chandramouli, Maureen Watson, Mark Zhu, Karen E. Callon, Donna Tuari, Hani Abdeltawab, Darren Svirskis, David Shaun Musson, Manisha Sharma and Jillian Cornish

Materials 2022, 15(1), 212; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma15010212 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1804

Abstract

Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional milk glycoprotein that promotes bone regeneration. Local delivery of LF at the bone defect site is a promising approach for enhancement of bone regeneration, but efficient systems for sustained local delivery are still largely missing. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of the poloxamers for sustained delivery of LF to enhance local bone regeneration. The developed LF/poloxamer formulations were liquid at room temperature (20 °C) transforming to a sustained releasing gel depot at body temperature (37 °C). In vitro release studies demonstrated an initial burst release (~50%), followed by slower release of LF for up to 72 h. Poloxamer, with and without LF, increased osteoblast viability at 72 h (p < 0.05) compared to control, and the immune response from THP-1 cells was mild when compared to the suture material. In rat calvarial defects, the LF/poloxamer group had lower bone volume than the controls (p = 0.0435). No difference was observed in tissue mineral density and lower bone defect coverage scores (p = 0.0267) at 12 weeks after surgery. In conclusion, LF/poloxamer formulations support cell viability and do not induce an unfavourable immune response; however, LF delivery via the current formulation of LF200/poloxamer gel did not demonstrate enhanced bone regeneration and was not compatible with the rat calvarial defect model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactoferrin Formulations for Biomedical Applications)

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17 pages, 2316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interaction of Lactoferrin with Unsaturated Fatty Acids: In Vitro and In Vivo Study of Human Lactoferrin/Oleic Acid Complex Cytotoxicity

by Anna Elizarova, Alexey Sokolov, Valeria Kostevich, Ekaterina Kisseleva, Evgeny Zelenskiy, Elena Zakharova, Oleg Panasenko, Alexander Budevich, Igor Semak, Vladimir Egorov, Giulia Pontarollo, Vincenzo De Filippis and Vadim Vasilyev

Materials 2021, 14(7), 1602; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14071602 - 25 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2264

Abstract

As shown recently, oleic acid (OA) in complex with lactoferrin (LF) causes the death of cancer cells, but no mechanism(s) of that toxicity have been disclosed. In this study, constitutive parameters of the antitumor effect of LF/OA complex were explored. Complex LF/OA was prepared by titrating recombinant human LF with OA. Spectral analysis was used to assess possible structural changes of LF within its complex with OA. Structural features of apo-LF did not change within the complex LF:OA = 1:8, which was toxic for hepatoma 22a cells. Cytotoxicity of the complex LF:OA = 1:8 was tested in cultured hepatoma 22a cells and in fresh erythrocytes. Its anticancer activity was tested in mice carrying hepatoma 22a. In mice injected daily with LF-8OA, the same tumor grew significantly slower. In 20% of animals, the tumors completely resolved. LF alone was less efficient, i.e., the tumor growth index was 0.14 for LF-8OA and 0.63 for LF as compared with 1.0 in the control animals. The results of testing from 48 days after the tumor inoculation showed that the survival rate among LF-8OA-treated animals was 70%, contrary to 0% rate in the control group and among the LF-treated mice. Our data allow us to regard the complex of LF and OA as a promising tool for cancer treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactoferrin Formulations for Biomedical Applications)

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Review

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25 pages, 739 KiB

Open AccessReview

Development of Encapsulation Strategies and Composite Edible Films to Maintain Lactoferrin Bioactivity: A Review

by Inés Abad, Celia Conesa and Lourdes Sánchez

Materials 2021, 14(23), 7358; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ma14237358 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3975

Abstract

Lactoferrin (LF) is a whey protein with various and valuable biological activities. For this reason, LF has been used as a supplement in formula milk and functional products. However, it must be considered that the properties of LF can be affected by technological treatments and gastrointestinal conditions. In this article, we have revised the literature published on the research done during the last decades on the development of various technologies, such as encapsulation or composite materials, to protect LF and avoid its degradation. Multiple compounds can be used to conduct this protective function, such as proteins, including those from milk, or polysaccharides, like alginate or chitosan. Furthermore, LF can be used as a component in complexes, nanoparticles, hydrogels and emulsions, to encapsulate, protect and deliver other bioactive compounds, such as essential oils or probiotics. Additionally, LF can be part of systems to deliver drugs or to apply certain therapies to target cells expressing LF receptors. These systems also allow improving the detection of gliomas and have also been used for treating some pathologies, such as different types of tumours. Finally, the application of LF in edible and active films can be effective against some contaminants and limit the increase of the natural microbiota present in meat, for example, becoming one of the most interesting research topics in food technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lactoferrin Formulations for Biomedical Applications)

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