Lactoferrin and milk proteins: complexes and gut cell effects
What it found
In lab tests, lactoferrin formed complexes with other milk proteins, and these complexes survived digestion better while still acting on human intestinal cells in similar ways.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Complex formation
Lactoferrin formed complexes with alpha-lactalbumin and with proteins and peptides from whey protein hydrolysate and nonfat milk powder.
Digestion resistance
In lab tests, lactoferrin and alpha-lactalbumin were more resistant to simulated stomach and intestinal digestion when they were in complexes with other milk proteins.
Receptor binding and uptake
Lactoferrin alone and in complexes bound to the lactoferrin receptor on human intestinal cells and was taken up by them, with no significant differences among the groups.
Cell growth and maturation
Lactoferrin, alpha-lactalbumin, whey protein hydrolysate, milk powder, and the blends increased proliferation of human intestinal cells and promoted differentiation of Caco-2 cells. The blends had greater effects than lactoferrin alone.
Barrier and immune effects
All proteins and blends increased the electrical resistance of Caco-2 cell layers, increased secretion of IL-18, and inhibited the growth of enteropathogenic E. coli. They also reduced the transcription of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha after E. coli infection.
What the authors conclude
“Lf forms complexes with α-Lac and other milk proteins/peptides from WPH and MP in protein blends, and forming complexes does not affect the functionalities of Lf.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that lactoferrin forms complexes with alpha-lactalbumin and other milk proteins and peptides, and that forming these complexes does not affect the functionalities of lactoferrin.
- They suggest that lactoferrin in complex forms may play important roles in intestinal development.
- They state that the activities of alpha-lactalbumin merit further studies.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether lactoferrin, a milk protein, binds to other milk proteins and whether this changes how it survives digestion or works on intestinal cells.
They mixed lactoferrin with alpha-lactalbumin, whey protein hydrolysate, or nonfat milk powder, then tested the blends in simulated digestion and on two human intestinal cell models.
What it can’t tell you
- These are lab tests using human cells grown in dishes, not studies in people. They cannot show what happens in infants who drink formula.
- The digestion tests used enzymes in a lab, so they cannot show how the proteins behave in a baby's gut.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by ByHeart, Inc., New York, USA (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of California, USA
The paper
- Title
- Effects of Forming Lactoferrin-Milk Protein Complexes on Lactoferrin Functionality and Intestinal Development in Infancy
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Jiang R, Du X, Lönnerdal B (2024). Effects of Forming Lactoferrin-Milk Protein Complexes on Lactoferrin Functionality and Intestinal Development in Infancy. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu16234077Free full textPubMed 39683471DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error