Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

A Neonatal BALB/c Mouse Model of Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Published on: November 30, 2021
Lactoferrin and necrotizing enterocolitis
1Division of Neonatology, Women's and Children's Hospital, University of Missouri Health System, University of Missouri, Suite 206, 404 Keene Street, Columbia, MO 65201, USA. ShermanMP@health.missouri.edu
Abstract:
Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional protein and a member of the transferrin family. LF and lysozyme in breast milk kill bacteria. In the stomach, pepsin digests and releases a potent peptide antibiotic called lactoferricin from native LF. The antimicrobial characteristics of LF may facilitate a healthy intestinal microbiome. LF is the major whey in human milk; its highest concentration is in colostrum. This fact highlights early feeding of colostrum and also fresh mature milk as a way to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.
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