Therapeutic Value of Milk of Vechur Cow, the Indigenous Breed of Kerala Listed as Critical by FAO

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Bos indicus, (Vechur breed), being an indigenous cow of Kerala needs greater attention for its survival since the breed is facing extinction. Due to the lack of appropriate scientific studies for highlighting the therapeutic potential of the milk of Vechur cow and its unique medicinal properties, this critical breed has not gained sufficient and required acceptance among farmers and it became a negative factor for the conservation of this domestic animal. Most of the traditional concepts associated with Vechur cow like disease resistance, medicinal property of milk have remained as mere field observations since the authenticity of these features has not yet been proven successfully with solid evidence. Hence the existence of Vechur cow in the livestock industry is still a questionable matter. The data of the present study on the structural and functional features of the lactoferrin gene of the Vechur cow demonstrates SNPs, amino acid substitutions, binding pockets and the secondary and tertiary structure of the gene compared to Bos taurus. Along with the genomic features, the gene was successfully expressed for the production of recombinant Bovine lactoferrin protein (rBLf) in eukaryotic system using a Pore2 vector and CAMV35S promoter. The bactericidal property exhibited by rBLf protein in suppressing the growth of both gram positive and gram negative bacterial strains viz. E.coli, Streptococcus sps, and Staphylococcus aureus has highlighted the relevance of lactoferrin protein of Vechur cow milk in drug industry.