Iron transport mechanism of lactoferrin and its application in food processing

Abstract

Lactoferrin (LF) is a non-heme protein binding Fe³⁺ tightly and plays a role in regulating the absorption and metabolism of iron under physiological condition. The absorption of non-heme iron occurs in the duodenum. LF is incorporated as a functional factor of food products during food processing. In this review, we describe the structural and functional changes of LF due to thermal processing of food, as well as the metabolic processes of LF iron binding and release in vivo, which characterizes the value of LF as a food matrix from nutrition and biochemistry and provides a basis for the comprehensive utilization of LF in food.

Keywords:
lactoferrin; iron binding and release; lactoferrin digestion; lactoferrin function