[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":60},["ShallowReactive",2],{"navigation":3,"cms-page-/what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin":42,"blog-what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin":43,"page-/what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin":42},{"headerItems":4,"footerItems":22,"ctaButton":38,"footerHeading":40,"footerDescription":41},[5,9,12,15,18],{"label":6,"path":7,"external":8},"About","/about",false,{"label":10,"path":11,"external":8},"Technologies","/our-technology",{"label":13,"path":14,"external":8},"Team","/team",{"label":16,"path":17,"external":8},"Learn","/blog",{"label":19,"path":20,"external":21},"Shop","https://intentionaleveryday.com/",true,[23,26,29,32,35],{"label":24,"url":25,"external":8},"Partner With Us","/partner",{"label":27,"url":28,"external":8},"Investors","mailto:investors@turtletree.com",{"label":30,"url":31,"external":21},"Careers","https://apply.workable.com/turtletree/",{"label":33,"url":34,"external":8},"Press","/blog?section=media",{"label":36,"url":37,"external":8},"Contact us","mailto:hello@turtletree.com",{"text":39,"link":25},"Get a Sample","Join the Revolution","Get exciting updates from TurtleTree",null,{"id":44,"path":45,"title":46,"description":47,"date":48,"category":49,"tags":50,"image":54,"author":55,"published":56,"slug":57,"body":58,"blocks":42,"seo_title":59,"seo_description":59,"og_image":42},97,"/what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin","What are the Benefits of Lactoferrin?","Lactoferrin is found across the animal kingdom and has existed on earth for a long time, but what exactly does it do? Find out more.","2023-05-18T07:08:00.000Z","blog",[51,52,53],"gut-health","iron-regulation","lactoferrin","/cms-media/what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin.webp","TurtleTree",1,"what-are-the-benefits-of-lactoferrin","\u003Ch3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Discovery of Lactoferrin\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1939, \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19401401200\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sorensen and Sorensen\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discovered a peculiar protein they called lactoferrin when \u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">looking at the contents of whey (a milk protein) in bovine milk. They named the protein \u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lactoferrin because it was rich in iron, which gave it a reddish-pink color that has since prompted its nickname “pink gold.\"\u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For decades, researchers were unsure of the role lactoferrin plays in the \u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">body\u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or its relationship with iron.  \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn’t until the 1960s that researchers began unraveling the mysteries behind lactoferrin. In 1960, scientists successfully purified lactoferrin from both \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19611400183\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">human\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja01498a029\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cow milk\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which helped pave the way for additional research into the structure and function of the protein. In uncovering lactoferrin’s structure, the researchers found that the protein can bind two iron ions, partly explaining its interaction with iron. The structure of lactoferrin is \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/bcb-2020-0106?rfr_dat=cr_pub++0pubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">largely conserved\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> between the versions found in human and bovine milk with some minor differences. Notably, though, the concentration of lactoferrin across different milk types varies. In cow’s milk, lactoferrin is present at a concentration of just \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163804/#:~:text=Lf%20is%20particularly%20abundant%20in,in%20mature%20milk%20%5B10%5D.\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">0.5mg/L\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (less than 1% of the total protein content!). In human milk, however, the concentration is much larger at \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163804/#:~:text=Lf%20is%20particularly%20abundant%20in,in%20mature%20milk%20%5B10%5D.\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1g/L \u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(roughly 15-20% of the total protein content!). Lactoferrin concentration even varies by the stages of milk - with higher levels of lactoferrin present in colostrum, the “first milk” after childbirth, compared to mature milk. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cfigure>\n\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3559 size-full\" src=\"https://turtletree.cms.marteco.dev/assets/89fcc898-958c-481c-a828-71dc0dc4948e\" alt=\"\" />\n\u003Cfigcaption>\n\u003Cp>Lactoferrin’s tertiary structure allows it to bind two iron atoms.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/figcaption>\n\u003C/figure>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lactoferrin exists in most other \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/030504919190199N\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mammalian milk\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> too: from sheep to camel and even goat milk. If you’re wondering how it’s possible that lactoferrin is seemingly everywhere, \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/bcb-2020-0079\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a recent paper\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that the gene duplication that resulted in the precursor to lactoferrin occurred more than 580 million years ago. Given that lactoferrin is found across the animal kingdom and has existed on earth for far longer than the earliest known humans, it must play an important biological role, but what exactly does it do?\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Does Lactoferrin Do to the Body?\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientists have been investigating the role of lactoferrin for decades, and across the vast literature on the topic, there are three main areas where scientists agree that lactoferrin is hard at work: in supporting iron regulation, gut health, and immune function. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 800;\">Iron Regulation\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lactoferrin is a member of the “transferrin” family of proteins, which are known for their ability to bind iron. Lactoferrin has 2 “lobes” to its structure and \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35566292/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">each lobe can hold one iron ion\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This conformation allows lactoferrin to hold onto these iron ions very tightly without letting go, even across various conditions such as changes in pH. Because lactoferrin can exist in iron-bound or non-iron-bound forms, researchers have labeled the \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302(12)00844-2/fulltext\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different lactoferrin states\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on how much iron is bound to the protein. Lactoferrin with very little iron bound to it is called “apo-lactoferrin”. When lactoferrin is fully saturated with iron, it is referred to as “holo-lactoferrin”. In milk, lactoferrin is generally found in an in-between state generally termed “native”: \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-015-1441-4\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">roughly 20% saturated with iron\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Because lactoferrin binds to iron, it can play a role in exercise and physical fitness. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Various studies have demonstrated that lactoferrin improves \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02123/full\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">red blood cell production\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/o06-040\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">circulating iron\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> levels, and \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/3/543\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stored iron\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> levels. Because red blood cells and iron help move oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, these measures are critical for peak athletic performance. By acting on iron levels and red blood cell production, \u003C/span>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lactoferrin can help you reach your exercise goals. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://academic.oup.com/bbb/article/72/4/931/5941431?login=false\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in female athletes found that lactoferrin supplementation curbed lactic acid buildup and fatigue in long-distance runners. The researchers hypothesized that lactoferrin helps the body to better absorb and utilize iron which would contribute to better performance outcomes. So, whether you’re training to beat your marathon time or are just hoping to cross the finish line of your first 5k (we feel you!), consider how lactoferrin may be able to help you reach your goals.\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cfigure>\n\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3560 size-full\" src=\"https://turtletree.cms.marteco.dev/assets/5ca75bf7-31a7-4951-8d3d-bb3c99c58514\" alt=\"\" />\n\u003Cfigcaption>\n\u003Cp>Lactoferrin supports iron regulation, gut health, and immune function.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/figcaption>\n\u003C/figure>\n\u003Ch4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 800;\">Immune Function\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Numerous studies have researched the involvement of lactoferrin in the immune system, but because lactoferrin is such a powerful molecule involved in a diverse array of biological functions, no single study has captured the full spectrum of roles lactoferrin plays in the immune system.  What is clear is that lactoferrin’s ability to bind iron contributes to its role in immune function. Iron ions provide strength to pathogens as they try to attack the body. By binding iron to itself, \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35566292/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lactoferrin reduces the amount of iron\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> available to these pathogens, weakening them in their ability to wreak havoc on the body. \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0271531708001255\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One study\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that lactoferrin supplementation provided immune support to healthy male adults by activating cells critical to the immune system. \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4757-9068-9_32\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another study\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of healthy volunteers showed similar results that suggest lactoferrin aids the body’s immune defense. Not only can lactoferrin boost immune function in the body, but it also contributes to gut health. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Ch4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 800;\">Gut Health\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h4>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lactoferrin is especially great at maintaining a happy and healthy gut. When consumed, lactoferrin is partially digested by enzymes to produce peptide fragments, while the rest of the protein remains intact in the stomach. It’s been shown that both whole lactoferrin and these peptide fragments have \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijpep/2013/390230/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">similar biological activities\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. To aid in gut health, lactoferrin works like a prebiotic to \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35566292/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">maintain a balanced diversity of intestinal microbiota\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: the good bacteria that lives in your gut. Lactoferrin can also limit bad bacteria’s ability to set up shop in your gut and multiply. In infants, lactoferrin plays a similar role by helping \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347616002985\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shape the composition of gut bacteria\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that develops across the first few years of life. It makes sense then why lactoferrin is so prevalent in mammalian milk. Lactoferrin even helps with \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35566292/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">digestion and nutrient absorption\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This powerful milk protein does this by \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32706983/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">helping out the epithelial cells\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that line the gut wall and break down the food passing through. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lactoferrin is truly a wonder protein that aids the body in more ways than one. Its benefits are only limited by the ability to scale production, something that TurtleTree aims to solve with its upcoming precision fermentation-derived lactoferrin.\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cfigure>\n\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3561 size-full\" src=\"https://turtletree.cms.marteco.dev/assets/896008ef-a898-4638-ac75-2025c72c4d4d\" alt=\"\" />\n\u003Cfigcaption>\n\u003Cp>Lactoferrin remains one of the most costly dairy ingredients available. It can cost anywhere from $600-$2000 USD per kg.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/figcaption>\n\u003C/figure>\n\u003Ch3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Is Lactoferrin Produced?\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/h3>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A variety of separation and purification methods have been developed to extract lactoferrin from milk. These \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fbe2.12003\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">methods\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> include cation exchange chromatography, membrane absorption, liquid chromatography membrane separation, ion exchange resin, and others. For each of these methods, the recovery rate, percent purity, input materials, and cost of processing vary. Most of these methods use skim milk or whey as the starting material. Some methods have high recovery rates but require difficult procedures, while others are very expensive but make high-purity lactoferrin. Especially as the demand for lactoferrin increases as the benefits of this valuable protein become better understood, more efficient manufacturing techniques will be needed.\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, lactoferrin remains one of the most costly dairy ingredients available. It can cost anywhere from \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://ubic-consulting.com/reports/dairy-ingredients/strategic-insights-into-the-global-lactoferrin-and-lactoperoxidase-market/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$600-$2000 \u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USD per kg. While some of this cost is incurred via complicated production processes, significant cost can also be attributed to the sheer amount of starting material needed. With \u003C/span>\u003Ca href=\"https://ubic-consulting.com/reports/dairy-ingredients/strategic-insights-into-the-global-lactoferrin-and-lactoperoxidase-market/\">\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">standard processes\u003C/span>\u003C/a>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 1 million liters of whey is needed to produce between 20-30 kg of lactoferrin. 1 million liters of skim milk produces just 30-60 kg of lactoferrin. \u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These extremely high costs limit accessibility to this beneficial protein nicknamed “pink gold”. \u003C/span>Currently, the majority of available lactoferrin is dedicated to\u003Ca href=\"https://ubic-consulting.com/reports/dairy-ingredients/strategic-insights-into-the-global-lactoferrin-and-lactoperoxidase-market/\"> infant formula and food supplements\u003C/a>. However, there’s no doubt that given its iron regulation, gut health, and immune support benefits, we could all stand to gain from including lactoferrin in sports drinks, plant-based dairy products, and anything in between!\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Producing lactoferrin through precision fermentation could lead the way to greater amounts of lactoferrin available on the market.  Because with precision fermentation, the production scale is free from the constraints and climate impacts of animal agriculture - meaning that not only can we produce more lactoferrin, but we can produce it sustainably too. Here at TurtleTree, we’re working hard to deliver precision fermentation-derived lactoferrin that’s equally good for people and the planet.\u003C/span>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ci>Sustainable nutrition for all is just around the corner. \u003C/i>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:investors@turtletree.com\">\u003Ci>Reach out to us\u003C/i>\u003C/a> \u003Ci>to find out how you can be a part of this.\u003C/i>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ci>Also follow us on \u003C/i>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/turtletree_/\">\u003Ci>Instagram\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\u003Ci>, \u003C/i>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/TurtleTreeOfficial\">\u003Ci>Facebook\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\u003Ci>, \u003C/i>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/company/turtletree/\">\u003Ci>LinkedIn\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\u003Ci>, and \u003C/i>\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/turtletree_?lang=en\">\u003Ci>Twitter\u003C/i>\u003C/a>\u003Ci> to keep up with all that we’re thinking about and getting up to.\u003C/i>\u003C/p>","",1784790791361]