Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria
The excessive use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infectious diseases in all living beings has caused a global epidemic of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant and pandrug-resistant strains. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that...
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Open Exploration
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Exploration of Drug Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A100872/100872.pdf |
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| author | Lucero Ruiz-Mazón Gerardo Ramírez-Rico Mireya de la Garza |
| author_facet | Lucero Ruiz-Mazón Gerardo Ramírez-Rico Mireya de la Garza |
| author_sort | Lucero Ruiz-Mazón |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The excessive use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infectious diseases in all living beings has caused a global epidemic of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant and pandrug-resistant strains. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that antimicrobial resistance causes at least 700,000 deaths per year worldwide. Therefore, in this global war against microorganisms, a therapeutic alternative is necessary to help us win this battle. A key in this race against the clock could be lactoferrin (Lf), a cationic glycoprotein of the mammalian innate immune system that is highly conserved among mammals. Lf is a multifunctional glycoprotein with immunomodulatory, anticarcinogenic, wound-healing, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and bone regeneration properties, in addition to improving the gut microbiota. Lf limits the growth of microorganisms through the sequestration of iron but can also interact directly with some components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria or bind to teichoic acids in Gram-positive bacteria, destabilizing the membrane and resulting in lysis. Moreover, cleavage of the Lf molecule could promote the production of lactoferricins (Lfcins) and lactoferrampin (Lfampin) from the N-terminal end, which are known to often have stronger antimicrobial effects than the native molecule, as well as analogous peptides, such as HLopt2, which have also shown enhanced antimicrobial activity. Bovine Lf (bLf) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Food Safety Authority for its use as a dietary supplement in food products. Because of its effectiveness, accessibility, low cost, and nontoxicity, Lf could be a promising alternative for preventing or treating infections in animals and humans. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7fc79129692742f4a430a6fd08c1c02c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2836-7677 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Open Exploration |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploration of Drug Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-7fc79129692742f4a430a6fd08c1c02c2025-02-08T03:28:18ZengOpen ExplorationExploration of Drug Science2836-76772024-10-012673474310.37349/eds.2024.00072Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteriaLucero Ruiz-Mazón0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7376-6558Gerardo Ramírez-Rico1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2546-2792Mireya de la Garza2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6188-4220Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, MéxicoFacultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad de México 54714, MéxicoDepartamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional (CINVESTAV), Ciudad de México 07360, MéxicoThe excessive use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infectious diseases in all living beings has caused a global epidemic of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, leading to the emergence of multidrug-resistant and pandrug-resistant strains. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that antimicrobial resistance causes at least 700,000 deaths per year worldwide. Therefore, in this global war against microorganisms, a therapeutic alternative is necessary to help us win this battle. A key in this race against the clock could be lactoferrin (Lf), a cationic glycoprotein of the mammalian innate immune system that is highly conserved among mammals. Lf is a multifunctional glycoprotein with immunomodulatory, anticarcinogenic, wound-healing, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and bone regeneration properties, in addition to improving the gut microbiota. Lf limits the growth of microorganisms through the sequestration of iron but can also interact directly with some components of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria or bind to teichoic acids in Gram-positive bacteria, destabilizing the membrane and resulting in lysis. Moreover, cleavage of the Lf molecule could promote the production of lactoferricins (Lfcins) and lactoferrampin (Lfampin) from the N-terminal end, which are known to often have stronger antimicrobial effects than the native molecule, as well as analogous peptides, such as HLopt2, which have also shown enhanced antimicrobial activity. Bovine Lf (bLf) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the European Food Safety Authority for its use as a dietary supplement in food products. Because of its effectiveness, accessibility, low cost, and nontoxicity, Lf could be a promising alternative for preventing or treating infections in animals and humans.https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A100872/100872.pdflactoferrinlactoferricinbacteriaironmultidrug-resistant |
| spellingShingle | Lucero Ruiz-Mazón Gerardo Ramírez-Rico Mireya de la Garza Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria Exploration of Drug Science lactoferrin lactoferricin bacteria iron multidrug-resistant |
| title | Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| title_full | Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| title_fullStr | Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| title_short | Lactoferrin: a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| title_sort | lactoferrin a secret weapon in the war against pathogenic bacteria |
| topic | lactoferrin lactoferricin bacteria iron multidrug-resistant |
| url | https://www.explorationpub.com/uploads/Article/A100872/100872.pdf |
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