Plants have the ability to produce mammalian functional proteins with
therapeutic activity, including lactoferrin, a valuable protein commonly
found in milk and is important in many physiological processes such as iron
transfer and immune response. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is the main plant
system applied for green bioreactors since it is a leafy plant with high
leaf biomass and high levels of soluble proteins.

Shiraz University's Ali Niazi, together with his team, isolated the camel's
(Camelus dromedarius) lactoferrin gene (cLf) and expressed it in Nicotiana
tobaccum cv. Xanthi. Analysis showed that the recombinant camel lactoferrin
gene (cLf) was expressed in transgenic tobacco. Tests on protein extract
from the transgenic tobacco leaves exhibited antimicrobial activity.

Lactoferrin expression in plants provides a suitable system for large-scale
production of this protein. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that
lactoferrin expression in plants confers resistance to plant diseases.

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