A Comparative Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Oral Lactoferrin Fortified Bovine Colostrum with Oral Iron in the Treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia

Iron deficiency affects more than 2 billion people globally, with greater prevalence noted amongst women and children. Oral ferrous sulphate, the most commonly prescribed drug for treating this condition, is associated with 25 to 40% incidence of adverse drug reactions. This along with its variable bioavailability emphasise a need for better oral formulations. Lactoferrin, a glycoprotein structurally resembling transferrin, is believed to play a role in iron absorption. Hence a study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of oral lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum in the treatment of iron deficiency anaemia. AIM OF THE STUDY: To compare the efficacy of oral lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum (as a single agent and in combination with ferrous sulphate) with oral ferrous sulphate in treating iron deficiency anaemia. METHODOLOGY: A prospective randomized open–labelled study was designed with 3 parallel arms and a study population of 68 anaemic women. The control arm was given oral ferrous sulphate 333 mg (containing 100 mg elemental iron) OD, the study arm was given lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum 2g OD , while the combination arm received both. All treatment regimens were for 30 days. Baseline and post-therapy haemoglobin and iron parameters were assessed and analysed using student’s paired t-test, ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed rank test. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in haemoglobin and iron parameters from baseline to post-therapy in the arms that received lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum and was associated with fewer adverse events. The improvement in haemoglobin and iron parameters in the combination arm were comparable to the study arm. There were fewer adverse effects in the arms that received lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum compared to ferrous sulphate arm. CONCLUSION: Hence lactoferrin fortified bovine colostrum is a safe and efficacious treatment modality for iron deficiency anaemia and is associated with fewer adverse effects compared to oral ferrous sulphate.