Anticancer activity of lactoferrin isolated from caprine colostrum on human cancer cell lines

Abstract

In the present study, lactoferrin was purified from caprine colostrum and its anticancer effects were investigated on various cancer cell lines, including lung, colon, cervix, stomach and breast cancer cells. The caprine lactoferrin (CLF) was purified by ultrafiltration and sequential chromatography using a CM-Sephadex C-50-120 ion-exchange column and affinity chromatography on Hi-Trap(TM) Heparin HP. The purified CLF exhibited antiproliferative effects on the five tested cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, with 20-30% survival as compared to the control. Interestingly, the most intense inhibition of cell growth was observed on the ZR-75-1 breast cancer cells (IC50 = 27.5 mu g/mL). Our findings suggest, for the first time, that purified CLF from caprine colostrum may constitute a novel anticancer agent for the food industry.