Inflammatory responses improve with milk ribonuclease-enriched lactoferrin supplementation in postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: A 6-month, randomized clinical study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a ribonuclease-enriched lactoferrin (R-ELF) supplement on the circulating cytokine levels and bone health of postmenopausal women. SUBJECTS: Thirty-eight healthy postmenopausal women, aged 45-60 years, were randomized into placebo and R-ELF groups. TREATMENT: The R-ELF group was supplemented with R-ELF (2 × 125 mg/day) and calcium (100% RDA), while the placebo group received only the calcium supplement. METHODS: Serum levels of receptor activator for NF-κB ligand (RANKL), C-reactive protein (CRP) and various pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α decreased significantly (-44 and -10%, respectively) while anti-inflammatory IL-10 increased (140%) due to R-ELF supplementation at the end of study. RANKL and CRP were modestly reduced (-50%) relative to their placebo levels, although RANKL elevated initially. CONCLUSIONS: R-ELF supplementation showed beneficial effects towards improvement of inflammatory status in postmenopausal women.

Direct determination of the thermodynamics of polyelectrolyte complexation and implications thereof for electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly of multilayer films.

Interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) formation between poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) has been studied over a range of ionic strengths by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), turbidity titration, and electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly (ELBL). The results indicate that IPEC formation of PSS/PAH in aqueous solution is predominantly entropy-driven. The thermodynamic parameters suggest the formation of different types of complexes and aggregates due to salt-induced conformational changes in the polyelectrolyte conformation. Differences in polyelectrolyte behavior in the different salt-concentration regimes are described in terms of changes in the Debye screening length of the polyelectrolytes. The relationship of the results to the effect of salt concentration on the assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayer films (PEMs) is discussed.