The scientific literature has been very interested in lactoferrin in recent years and the word "nutraceutical" has been recognized after years of research. Lactoferrin is proposed as a therapeutic indication for several diseases.

Li HY, Yang HG, Wu HM, Yao QQ, Zhang ZY, Meng QS, Fan LL, Wang JQ, Zheng N. Inhibitory effects of lactoferrin on pulmonary inflammatory processes induced by lipopolysaccharide through modulating the TLR4-related pathway. J Dairy Sci. 2021 Apr 7:S0022-0302(21)00490-2. doi: 10.3168/jds.2020-19232.

Pal S, Sayeed M, Kumar A, Verma DP, Harioudh MK, Verma NK, Porwal K, Sharma S, Kulkarni C, Bandyopadhyay A, Mugale MN, Mitra K, Ghosh JK, Chattopadhyay N. Self-Assembling Nano-Globular Peptide from Human Lactoferrin Acts as a Systemic Enhancer of Bone Regeneration: A Novel Peptide for Orthopedic Application. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2021 Apr 8. doi: 10.1021/acsami.1c01513. 

Suleman Ismail Abdalla S, Katas H, Chan JY, Ganasan P, Azmi F, Fauzi MB. Gelatin Hydrogels Loaded with Lactoferrin-Functionalized Bio-Nanosilver as a Potential Antibacterial and Anti-Biofilm Dressing for Infected Wounds: Synthesis, Characterization, and Deciphering of Cytotoxicity. Mol Pharm. 2021 Apr 6. doi: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c01033. 

Mehta KJ. Role of iron and iron-related proteins in mesenchymal stem cells: Cellular and clinical aspects. J Cell Physiol. 2021 Apr 5. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30383. 

Elizarova A, Sokolov A, Kostevich V, Kisseleva E, Zelenskiy E, Zakharova E, Panasenko O, Budevich A, Semak I, Egorov V, Pontarollo G, De Filippis V, Vasilyev V. Interaction of Lactoferrin with Unsaturated Fatty Acids: In Vitro and In Vivo Study of Human Lactoferrin/Oleic Acid Complex Cytotoxicity. Materials (Basel). 2021 Mar 25;14(7):1602. doi: 10.3390/ma14071602

Lactoferrin is broadly active against yeasts and highly synergistic with amphotericin B.
Fernandes KE, Weeks K, Carter DA.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2020 Feb 24. pii: AAC.02284-19. doi: 10.1128/AAC.02284-19.

Warding Off Recurrent Yeast and Bacterial Vaginal Infections: Lactoferrin and Lactobacilli.
Superti F, De Seta F.
Microorganisms. 2020 Jan 17;8(1). pii: E130. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8010130.

Whey Protein and Its Components Lactalbumin and Lactoferrin Affect Energy Balance and Protect against Stroke Onset and Renal Damage in Salt-Loaded, High-Fat Fed Male Spontaneously Hypertensive Stroke-Prone Rats.
Singh A, Zapata RC, Pezeshki A, Knight CG, Tuor UI, Chelikani PK.
J Nutr. 2019 Dec 27. pii: nxz312. doi: 10.1093/jn/nxz312.

Protective effects of the combination Bifidobacterium longum plus lactoferrin against NSAID-induced enteropathy.
Fornai M, Pellegrini C, Benvenuti L, Tirotta E, Gentile D, Natale G, Ryskalin L, Colucci R, Piccoli E, Ghelardi E, Blandizzi C, Antonioli L.
Nutrition. 2020 Feb;70:110583. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2019.110583.

Effect of bovine lactoferrin as a novel therapeutic agent in a rat model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury.
Han N, Li H, Li G, Shen Y, Fei M, Nan Y.
AMB Express. 2019 Oct 31;9(1):177. doi: 10.1186/s13568-019-0900-8.

Lactoferrin promotes bile acid metabolism and reduces hepatic cholesterol deposition by inhibiting the farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-mediated enterohepatic axis.
Ling CJ, Xu JY, Li YH, Tong X, Yang HH, Yang J, Yuan LX, Qin LQ.
Food Funct. 2019 Nov 1;10(11):7299-7307. doi: 10.1039/c9fo01616c.

The Impact of Lactoferrin on the Growth of Intestinal Inhabitant Bacteria.
Vega-Bautista A, de la Garza M, Carrero JC, Campos-Rodríguez R, Godínez-Victoria M, Drago-Serrano ME.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Sep 23;20(19). pii: E4707. doi: 10.3390/ijms20194707

Lactoferrin Alleviates the Progression of Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice Fed with High-Fat/Cholesterol Diet Through Cholesterol Homeostasis.
Ling CJ, Min QQ, Yang JR, Zhang Z, Yang HH, Xu JY, Qin LQ.
J Med Food. 2019 Oct;22(10):1000-1008. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2018.4389.

Lactoferrin is a multifunctional bifidogenic milk glycoprotein with antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and plays the role of the main defense of the immune system. Recent studies have classified it as nutraceutical because of its ability to protect the mucosa. It can also lower cholesterol, prevent atherosclerosis, reduce body weight. 

Lactoferrin and other similar products in human milk create an environment for the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, limiting the formation of colonies with pathogenic bacteria (1). In fact, this glycoprotein competes with siderophores, small molecules capable of chelating iron, thus hindering bacterial proliferation.

Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant functions, lactoferrin exerts a neuroprotective action in senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (2).

Lactoferrin intake improved subjective skin moisture scores in healthy adults, and subjective skin moisture and texture scores in women in winter (3) and can also represent a potential pharmacological remedy for intestinal cell injury by reducing inflammation and inducing cell proliferation (4).

According to this study lactoferrin could be included as a possible safe topical therapeutic option in the treatment of psoriatic plaque (5).

Lactoferrin, what scientific research says 

Molecular Formula: C₁₄₁H₂₂₆N₄₆O₂₉S₃

Molecular Weight: 3125.8 g/mol

CAS: 151186-19-5

EC Number: 604-775-1

MDL number MFCD00164307

NACRES NA.61

Synonyms: 

• Lactotransferrin

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Lactoferrin infant feeding trial_Canada (LIFT_Canada): protocol for a randomized trial of adding lactoferrin to feeds of very-low-birth-weight preterm infants.  Asztalos EV, Barrington K, Lodha A, Tarnow-Mordi W, Martin A.  BMC Pediatr. 2020 Jan 29;20(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12887-020-1938-0.

(2) Dietary Lactoferrin Supplementation Prevents Memory Impairment and Reduces Amyloid-β Generation in J20 Mice.  Abdelhamid M, Jung CG, Zhou C, Abdullah M, Nakano M, Wakabayashi H, Abe F, Michikawa M.  J Alzheimers Dis. 2020 Jan 24. doi: 10.3233/JAD-191181

(3) Effects of Lactoferrin on Subjective Skin Conditions in Winter: A Preliminary, Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial.  Oda H, Miyakawa M, Mizuki M, Misawa Y, Tsukahara T, Tanaka M, Yamauchi K, Abe F, Nomiyama T.  Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2019 Dec 2;12:875-880. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S228153

(4) Protective effects of lactoferrin on injured intestinal epithelial cells.  Liu J, Li B, Lee C, Zhu H, Zheng S, Pierro A.  J Pediatr Surg. 2019 Dec;54(12):2509-2513. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2019.08.046.

(5) Topical lactoferrin can improve stable psoriatic plaque.  Saraceno R, Gramiccia T, Chimenti S, Valenti P, Pietropaoli M, Bianchi L.  G Ital Dermatol Venereol. 2014 Jun;149(3):335-40.