Antimicrobial and Prebiotic Activity of Lactoferrin in the Female Reproductive Tract: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Women’s intimate health depends on several factors, such as age, diet, coexisting metabolic disorders, hormonal equilibrium, sexual activity, drug intake, contraception, surgery, and personal hygiene. These factors may affect the homeostasis of the internal environment of the genital tract: the vulva, vagina and cervix. This equilibrium is dependent on strict and complex mutual interactions between epithelial cells, immunocompetent cells and microorganisms residing in this environment. The microbiota of the genital tract in healthy women is dominated by several species of symbiotic bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus. The bacteria inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and inflammatory processes by virtue of direct and multidirectional antimicrobial action and, indirectly, by the modulation of immune system activity. For the homeostasis of the genital tract ecosystem, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory peptides, as well as proteins secreted by mucus cells into the cervicovaginal fluid, have a fundamental significance. Of these, a multifunctional protein known as lactoferrin (LF) is one of the most important since it bridges innate and acquired immunity. Among its numerous properties, particular attention should be paid to prebiotic activity, i.e., exerting a beneficial action on symbiotic microbiota of the gastrointestinal and genital tract. Such activity of LF is associated with the inhibition of bacterial and fungal infections in the genital tract and their consequences, such as endometritis, pelvic inflammation, urinary tract infections, miscarriage, premature delivery, and infection of the fetus and newborns. The aim of this article is to review the results of laboratory as well as clinical trials, confirming the prebiotic action of LF on the microbiota of the lower genital tract.

Synergistic Antimicrobial Action of Lactoferrin-Derived Peptides and Quorum Quenching Enzymes

“…This phenomenon may be associated with different localization of bovine lactoferrin or Lfcin molecules on the surface of the dimer enzyme molecule, which may lead to some changes in the conformation of the His 6 -OPH molecule and the spatial conformation state of the active center of the enzyme, thereby affecting the binding rate of the substrate. Similar changes in the catalytic characteristics of His 6 -OPH were previously observed with some other polypeptides [ 40 ].…”

Cancer-associated Lactobacillus iners are genetically distinct and associated with chemoradiation resistance in cervical cancer

“…Lactobacillus have well-described immunomodulatory features, although generally in the context of beneficial Lactobacilli such as L. crispatus and L. reuteri . These lactobacilli protect mucosal surfaces against opportunistic or pathogenic infections and are used as immune response boosting probiotics (Lebeer, Vanderleyden and De Keersmaecker, 2008; Artym and Zimecki, 2021). We hypothesize that it may not be the presence of cancer-associated L. iners that directly results in a dysfunctional immune response, but rather that its dominance outcompetes these more beneficial Lactobacillus species.…”

Sustainable Prebiotic Dessert with Sericin Produced by Bombyx mori Worms

“…Lactoferrin has antioxidant, prebiotic, antiviral, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity acting on interleukins 1, 4, 6, 10 (IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and Th1-type cytokines, such as IFN-γ and IL-12 [44][45][46].…”