One-step isolation of lactoferrin using immobilized monoclonal antibodies.

Immunoaffinity columns made with monoclonal antibodies to either human or bovine lactoferrins were prepared to isolate human lactoferrin or bovine lactoferrin from milks by a single chromatographic step. Recoveries of human lactoferrin and bovine lactoferrin were 98 and 97%, respectively. The human lactoferrin recovered from defatted human colostrum was 98% pure with 93% iron-binding capacity. Amount of recovered bovine lactoferrin, as well as purity and iron-binding capacity, varied widely depending on the source of bovine milks and pretreatments (particularly pasteurization temperature). The best source to isolate bovine lactoferrin was raw skim milk yielding a protein 97% pure and with a 99% iron-binding capacity. Thus, immunoaffinity chromatography provides an effective one-pass isolation of highly pure human or bovine lactoferrin with reasonable recovery and iron-binding capacity.