Lactoferrin Supplementation during Gestation and Lactation Is Efficient for Boosting Rat Pup Development

Area of Science:

• Animal Nutrition
• Developmental Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding protein in human milk known to enhance infant intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation.
• Bovine lactoferrin (bLF) is structurally similar to human LF and is being investigated for its potential health benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of maternal dietary supplementation with bovine lactoferrin (bLF) on the early life development of rat offspring.
• To assess the impact of bLF on offspring growth, intestinal development, barrier function, bone health, and metabolic profiles.

Main Methods:

• Female Wistar rats were fed diets with or without bLF (10 g/kg) during gestation and lactation.
• Offspring growth, body composition, intestinal differentiation, colon barrier function, bone mineral density, and plasma metabolites were measured up to postnatal day 17 (PND17).
• Gene expression related to tight-junction proteins and bLF presence in plasma and milk were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Maternal bLF supplementation led to increased offspring body weight from PND12 to PND17.
• Enhanced small intestine epithelial cell differentiation and improved colon barrier function were observed in bLF-exposed pups.
• Pups from bLF-supplemented mothers exhibited higher bone mineral density and elevated plasma amino acid concentrations.

Conclusions:

• Maternal consumption of bLF during gestation and lactation positively influences offspring development.
• bLF supplementation may promote early life growth, gut integrity, and bone health in offspring.
• These findings suggest a potential role for bLF in animal and human nutrition, particularly for offspring at risk of compromised development.