[The physiological and diagnostic importance of lysozyme in cow's milk]

The enzyme lysozyme (earlier muramidase) is one of the factors of the non-specific defense mechanism of the mammary gland. It represents a regular constituent of milk, which despite its very low content in milk determines the health condition of the udder and its defending ability against infectious agents. Therefore, a review is given on the factors influencing the lysozyme content in bovine milk, its significance for the bactericidal effects of milk, its changes in mastitis and the resulting possibility of its introduction in diagnostic work, and the therapeutical use of milk rich in lysozyme.