Purification of lactoferrin using hydroxyapatite

Lactoferrin is an important nutriceutical with various physiological functions. It is present in whey at very low concentrations. This work describes a mixed-mode (hydroxyapatite) chromatography method for one-column fractionation of lactoferrin from whey. Lactoperoxidase, a protein with similar molecular weight and isoelectric point, was initially desorbed from the matrix under isocratic conditions. Lactoferrin was obtained in homogeneity without lactoperoxidase activity and free from other major whey proteins such as alpha lactoalbumin and beta lactoglobulin.