The extended farm effect: The milk pro- tein β-lactoglobulin in stable dust protects against allergies

Publikationen als Autor:in / Herausgeber:in der Vetmeduni

Zednik, Katharina; Pali, Isabella

Abstrakt

Background: The allergy-and asthma-protective farm effect is mediated by nu-merous factors. Especially dust from cattle barns and raw cow's milk show beneficial properties, suggesting a bovine protein to be involved. As a major milk protein and member of the lipocalin family, beta-lacto-globulin (BLG) binds small, hydrophobic li-gands and thereby modulates the immune response. Empty BLG promotes allergy de-velopment, whereas BLG in association with ligands shows allergy-preventive as well as-reducing effects in vivo and in vitro. Results: BLG has been identified as a major protein in both barn dust - therein bound to zinc - and in the air around cattle stalls. This asso-ciation with zinc favors an allergy-protective immune profile. Conclusion: Its presence in raw cow's milk as well as in barn dust and ambient air and its protective characteristics make BLG an important contributor to the farm effect.

Dokumententyp

Übersichtsarbeit

DOI

10.5414/ALX02246E