Effect of Lactoferrin on Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: The LAC Randomized Clinical Trial

Nutrients
Q1
Mar 2023
Citations:20
Influential Citations:2
Interventional (Human) Studies
93
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Enhanced Details

Methods
218 hospitalized adult patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 were randomly assigned to receive either bovine lactoferrin or placebo, alongside standard COVID-19 treatments, from January to May 2021.
Intervention
A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 800 mg/day of oral bovine lactoferrin in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, in addition to standard COVID-19 therapy.
Results
No significant differences were found between the lactoferrin and placebo groups in key outcomes including ICU admissions, mortality rates, and overall clinical recovery. The results suggest that lactoferrin does not provide additional benefits for hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19.
Limitations
The trial was conducted during a pandemic, and some variability in patient treatment may exist. Further research is necessary to explore the potential benefits of lactoferrin in earlier stages of COVID-19.

Abstract

As lactoferrin is a nutritional supplement with proven antiviral and immunomodulatory abilities, it may be used to improve the clinical course of COVID-19. The clinical efficacy and safety of bovine lactoferrin were evaluated in the LAC randomized do...