Effect of lactoferrin in a murine model of intestinal dysbiosis induced by antibiotics

In the intestine there is an extensive microbiota that has very important functions for the intestinal homeostasis such as protection against pathogens or the development of the intestinal immune system. The composition of the microbiota depends on many factors, including diet and antibiotic intake. Specifically, antibiotics induces alterations in the microbiota and intestinal functions. In this context, the use of functional foods that contain prebiotics that can modulate the intestinal microbiota and the immune system is currently of great interest to improve intestinal health. Other authors have described that lactoferrin is a bovine milk protein that can modulate the intestinal microbiota in animal models of obesity or colitis. However, how lactoferrin can modulate the intestinal microbiota in antibiotic-induced dysbiosis is totally unknown. To investigate this, the authors studied the ability of lactoferrin to modulate the microbiota and the intestinal immune system in a murine model of intestinal dysbiosis induced by clindamycin. Among the main results of this study are that clindamycin reduced the levels of Bacteriodaceae, Prevotellaceae and Rikenellaceae bacteria, which have anti-inflammatory properties, and lactoferrin was able to reverse these effects. In addition, lactoferrin could also restore the levels of TLR2, TLR8 and TLR9, receptors of the immune system that recognize the components of the bacteria and initiate an immune response. This study represents the first analysis, in a model of intestinal disbiosis induced by antibiotics, of how lactoferrin can be used in functional foods to modulate positively the intestinal microbiota and immune system to improve intestinal health.