The purification of lactoferrin from human whey by batch extraction.
The isolation of lactoferrin from human whey has been accomplished using a rapid two-step procedure. The lactoferrin is directly adsorbed to cellulose phosphate by batch extraction and eluted by a stepped salt and pH gradient. The major impurity, a low-molecular-weight fraction, is quickly removed by gel filtration. The recovered lactoferrin has a purity of about 96%. The yield of lactoferrin averaged 80%. This method of lactoferrin purification greatly reduces the labor and time required, and the procedure is easily scaled to any volume of starting material.