No detectable transfer of dietary lactoferrin or its functional fragments to portal blood in healthy adult rats

We investigated the transfer of dietary bovine lactoferrin (LF) and its functional lactoferricin (LFcin) B-containing fragments to the portal blood of healthy adult rats by using several techniques. After a single administration of 125 I-labeled LF, radioactive bands were detected in autoradioluminograms of the portal blood, but similar bands were also observed after the administration of [ 125 I]NaI. Although ovalbumin was detected by ELISA at 3-18 ng/ml in the portal blood plasma after an overnight administration, no LF was detected (≤1.5 ng/ml). The antibody-captured ovalbumin fragments, but not the LF fragments, were detected in the plasma by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization affinity mass spectrometry (SELDI affinity MS). We finally attempted to detect the LFcin B-containing fragments by SELDI affinity MS with on-chip LFcin B-conversion, but could not detect them (≤1 ng/ml) in the portal blood after the LF ingestion. The level of LF or its functional fragments transferred to the portal blood was therefore extremely low, if any.