Biological activities of multifunctional protein in milk and their applications

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K07745
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Food science
• Research Institution: Kyoritsu Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Kawakami Hiroshi 共立女子大学, 家政学部, 教授 (90458860)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 食品機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We investigated the possibility that, besides the multi-functionality derived from the lactoferrin (LF) itself, LF expressed behaviors in conjunction with other bioactive compounds. The proteins and peptides present in LF used as a reagent and food ingredient were examined using LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis. Impurities in LF were fractionated using multi-stage methods, including affinity chromatography and ion exchange chromatography, and their bioactivities were individually evaluated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Several components that exhibit bioactive characteristics, including immunomodulating effects and iron delivery metabolism were present among the impurities. The multifunctional properties of LF were suggested to be due to some compounds interacted with LF.

Free Research Field

農学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ラクトフェリン（LF）は、免疫調節作用、抗ウイルス作用、抗菌作用、鉄代謝調節作用、骨代謝調節作用、内臓脂肪低減作用など、20種類以上の生理作用をもつことが報告されている。単一物質としては生理作用の多様性が極めて高く、乳の一成分でありながら PubMedで文献検索を行うと、現在までに8,000報以上の様々な研究報告がある。そこで、LFの多種多様な生理作用が、LFと特異的に結合している複数の生理活性成分に起因するのではないかという仮説を立てて研究を行い、LFが保有するいくつかの生理作用の活性本体を明らかにした。本研究は今後のLF研究の方向性を示唆し、革新的な進展をもたらすものと思われる。