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Ground Report | New Delhi: Cow milk effective against Covid-19; A study by the University of Michigan, in the United States, and Glanbia PLC Research and Development, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, indicate that the antiviral properties of a protein found in cow's milk can inhibit the action of the coronavirus, which causes Covid-19.
This is lactoferrin, found in the milk of most mammals, but which, in the case of bovine milk, has specific bioactive characteristics, capable of fighting microbes and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, and blocking the ability of the virus to enter human cells.
"Bovine lactoferrin has shown antiviral activity in human clinical trials," says Jonathan Sexton, PhD, University of Michigan Department of Internal Medicine and lead author of the study. “If taken orally, for example, it improves the severity of viral infections, including rotavirus and norovirus. Due to the broad antiviral efficacy and safety, minimal side effects and commercial availability of bovine lactoferrin, several review articles have suggested using it as a preventive or post-exposure treatment for Covid-19.”
In order to improve clinical relevance, the scientists tested bovine lactoferrin against some of the most common variants of the coronavirus such as WA1, representative of the outbreak in the United States in 2020; the B.1.1.7, the B.1.351 and P.1 variants and the delta variant. “Each of these variants includes modifications to the SARS-Cov-2 spike protein that reduce the effectiveness of existing vaccines. In addition, each of these strains shows reduced neutralization by vaccination sera,” explains Sexton.
The researchers' goal was to expand the observation of the in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 efficacy that bovine lactoferrin has demonstrated in examinations and to screen commercially available dairy products for antiviral activities. They also found the protein to be effective against all strains tested in vitro. The other components in commercial dairy products do not appear to offer antiviral protection, confirming that the effectiveness of these products appears to be entirely dependent on bovine lactoferrin. (Cow milk effective against Covid-19)
They further noted that dextrose and sorbitol, commonly used in the manufacture of tablets for oral medications, did not reduce the effectiveness of bovine lactoferrin against SARS-CoV-2 – suggesting the feasibility of developing an anti-Covid pill. “This is especially important when there are limited treatment options or when the options are too expensive for general use. An available oral therapy that covers emerging strains would be ideal for treating SARS-CoV-2 in areas without widespread vaccination or if new strains escape vaccine.”
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