Antimicrobial activities of lactoferrin extracted from commercially available milk samples

Abstract

Lactoferrin, an iron-binding glycoprotein with multifunctional properties is crucial to strengthening the immune system and also useful for commercial applications. The protein’s iron-binding capacity makes it undoubtedly advantageous to immune system modulation and different bacterial strains. In the present study, ten locally available commercial milk samples were collected from Dhaka and Chittagong city and the protein lactoferrin was extracted. The milk samples were defatted and casein was separated. The concentration of the isolated protein was measured using the NanoDrop machine. The presence of the specific protein lactoferrin was identified by using SDS-PAGE, where the specific protein was separated through electrical influence. The antibacterial activity of the protein was tested against 18 bacterial strains. The results of the current study indicated that the protein was successful in inhibiting the growth of certain bacteria. The results showed that lactoferrin protein is effective enough to be produced commercially in large scale and can be used as a substitute of medicines to prevent bacteria causing diseases.