Lysozyme- Rich Milk From Transgenic Goats

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics , Food and Agriculture on August 4, 2006

Because lysozymes found in breastmilk have been demonstrated to help reduce the incidence of acute diarrhea in children, there have been attempts to manufacture these enzymes first in rice, and now, in transgenic goats. Feeding trials using lysozyme-containing goat's milk to young pigs showed that the young pigs has lower levels of coliform bacteria in the small intestines.

"This goat's milk represents one of the first transgenic food products that has the potential to really benefit human health," said Professor Jim Murray, who led the study along with Professor Gary Anderson and animal scientist Elizabeth Maga. "The results of the study indicate that the protective, antibacterial characteristics of lysozyme-rich human breast milk are also present in milk produced by transgenic goats that carry the gene for lysozyme."

Authors suggest that larger studies are still needed and project that the technology may be even applied to dairy cattle, which produces larger volumes of milk.