Difference Between Lactoferrin and Colostrum

The key difference between lactoferrin and colostrum is that lactoferrin is a glycoprotein that occurs mainly in the human colostrum, whereas colostrum is the first form of milk secreted from the mammary glands of mammals.

Lactoferrin and colostrum are closely related terms because colostrum is rich with lactoferrin molecules. Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein, while colostrum is a form of milk.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Lactoferrin 
3. What is Colostrum
4. Lactoferrin vs Colostrum
5. Summary – Lactoferrin vs Colostrum

What is Lactoferrin?

Lactoferrin is a protein of the transferrin family. It is denoted by LF, and it is a globular glycoprotein having a molar mass of around 80 kDa. This protein is widely represented in various secretory fluids such as milk, saliva, tears, and nasal secretions. Moreover, this compound occurs in the secondary granules of PMNs and is also secreted by the acinar cells. We can purify lactoferrin from milk. Otherwise, we can produce it recombinantly. Generally, human colostrum contains the highest amount of lactoferrin protein.

Lactoferrin has antimicrobial activity, and it occurs as an innate defence such as mucose. Therefore, it occurs as a component of our immune system. Furthermore, this substance provides human infants with antibacterial activity. Moreover, this substance can interact with DNA and RNA, polysaccharides, and heparin, showing some of the molecule’s biological functions in coordination complexes with ligands.

This protein molecule is one of the transferrin proteins that can transfer iron into cells, and it can control the level of free iron in the blood and external secretions. We can find this substance occurring in blood plasma and neutrophils other than milk. It is one of the major proteins that is virtually an exocrine secretion in mammals.

What is Colostrum?

Colostrum is the first form of milk produced from the mammary glands of a mammal immediately after the delivery of a newborn. Typically, most species of mammals tend to produce colostrum before giving birth to the newborn. This first form of milk is very important because it has an especially high amount of bioactive compounds compared to mature milk. This is because it gives the newborn the best possible start of life.

Colostrum contains antibodies that help the newborn to fight against diseases and infections. Moreover, it and contains growth factors and other bioactive components, which helps the activation of the baby’s immune system. In addition, it allows the jumpstart of the gut system and causes the creation of a healthy gut microbiome in the first few days.

When considering the birth of a newborn, the newborn mammal is in a sterile environment inside the mother’s uterus, having a constant nutrient supply via the placenta. But after the birth, the baby is outside in a microbe-rich environment, and the newborn gets an irregular oral intake of milk which goes through the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, colostrum has evolved to take care of highly sensitive mammalian neonates and also contributes to the initial immunological defence along with growth and development.

What is the Difference Between Lactoferrin and Colostrum?

Lactoferrin and colostrum are closely related terms because colostrum is rich in lactoferrin molecules. Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein, while colostrum is a form of milk. The key difference between lactoferrin and colostrum is that lactoferrin is a glycoprotein that occurs mainly in human colostrum, whereas colostrum is the first form of milk secreted from the mammary glands of mammals.

The below infographic describes the differences between lactoferrin and colostrum in tabular form.

Summary – Lactoferrin vs Colostrum

Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein, while colostrum is a form of milk. The key difference between lactoferrin and colostrum is that lactoferrin is a glycoprotein that occurs mainly in human colostrum, whereas colostrum is the first form of milk secreted from the mammary glands of mammals.

Reference:

1. “BOVINE COLOSTRUM: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews.” WebMD, WebMD.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Lactoferrin” By Lijealso – Created using the data from Protein Data Bank (PDB: 1B0L) and rendered using Pymol (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Bovine colostrum and spray-dried colostrum powder” By Marguerita Briana Cattell – APSBioGroup (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia