article · Luminescence
A new, sustainable spectrofluorimetric method has been developed to detect and quantify the protein lactoferrin. The technique measures the native fluorescence of the protein at an emission wavelength of 337 nm following excitation at 230 nm, completely eliminating the need for hazardous chemical reagents. The method operates with a linear concentration range between 0.1 and 10.0 micrograms per millilitre, featuring limits of detection and quantitation at 0.027 and 0.082 micrograms per millilitre, respectively. Validated under International Council for Harmonisation guidelines, the approach was tested on commercial pharmaceutical forms, including capsules and sachets, achieving high recovery rates and low relative standard deviations. It was also successfully employed to selectively measure lactoferrin as a nutritional fortifier in infant milk powder. Standard green analytical assessment tools confirmed the strong environmental credentials of the technique.
Lactoferrin is an essential protein used to fortify infant formula and support human health through pharmaceuticals. Monitoring its concentration accurately is necessary to confirm product quality and nutritional adequacy. This new approach provides a simpler, chemical-free testing alternative that reduces hazardous laboratory waste while maintaining strict analytical precision.
The method represents an applied and tested analytical process for quality control laboratories within the pharmaceutical and infant nutrition sectors. It enables manufacturers to rapidly assess lactoferrin levels in raw milk powders, capsules, and sachets using standard spectrofluorimetric equipment. Because the protocol relies on native fluorescence rather than proprietary or toxic reagents, it offers an immediate, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable pathway for industrial quality assurance.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Abstract The current study presents the first spectrofluorimetric approach for the estimation of lactoferrin, depending on the measurement of its native fluorescence at 337 nm after excitation at 230 nm, without the need for any hazardous chemicals or reagents. It was found that the fluorescence intensity versus concentration calibration plot was linear over the concentration range of 0.1–10.0 μg/mL with quantitation and detection limits of 0.082 and 0.027 μg/mL, respectively. The method was accordingly validated according to the ICH recommendations. The developed method was applied for the estimation of lactoferrin in different dosage forms, including capsules and sachets with high percent recoveries (97.84–102.53) and low %RSD values (<1.95). Lactoferrin is one of the key nutrients in milk powder and a significant nutritional fortifier. In order to assess the quality of milk powder, it is essential to rapidly and accurately quantify the lactoferrin content of the product. Therefore, the presented study was successfully applied for the selective estimation of lactoferrin in milk powder with acceptable percent recoveries (96.45–104.92) and %RSD values (≤3.607). Finally, the green profile of the method was estimated using two assessment tools: Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and Analytical GREEnness (AGREE), which demonstrated its excellent greenness.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1002/bio.4772
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
