Inhibition of poliovirus type 1 infection by iron-, manganese and zinc-saturated lactoferrin

In this study we investigated the inhibitory activity of different milk proteins on poliovirus infection in Vero cells. Proteins analyzed were mucin, alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and bovine and human lactoferrin. Viral cytopathic effect was not prevented by mucin, alpha-lactalbumin or beta-lactoglobulin, whereas the lactoferrins tested were able to inhibit the replication of poliovirus in a dose-dependent manner. Further experiments were carried out in which apo- and native lactoferrin or lactoferrin fully saturated with ferric, manganese or zinc ions were added to the cells during different phases of viral infection. Results obtained demonstrated that all lactoferrins were able to prevent viral replication when present during the entire cycle of poliovirus infection or during the viral adsorption step. Only zinc lactoferrin strongly inhibited viral infection when incubated with the cells after the viral attachment, being the inhibition directly correlated with the degree of zinc saturation. Our results demonstrated that all lactoferrins interfered with an early phase of poliovirus infection; zinc lactoferrin was the sole compound capable of inhibiting a phase of infection subsequent to virus internalization into the host cells.