Dietary peptides and proteins

Dietary peptides and proteins are essential macronutrients derived from food sources that provide the necessary amino acids for human growth, tissue repair, and metabolic maintenance (National Research Council, 1989). While they are not classical therapeutic targets like receptors or enzymes, they serve as the primary substrates for the digestive system and can act as triggers for various pathological conditions. For example, in Celiac disease, specific dietary gluten peptides resist proteolysis and induce an immune-mediated inflammatory response in the small intestine (Celiac Disease Foundation, 2023). Pharmacological strategies involving these molecules typically focus on enzyme replacement therapies, such as pancrelipase, which provides exogenous proteases to assist in protein breakdown for patients with pancreatic insufficiency (DrugBank, 2024). Additionally, research into bioactive peptides suggests that certain protein fragments may possess antihypertensive or antimicrobial properties, though these are often categorized as nutraceuticals rather than conventional drugs (Wu, 2016).

Other names

Food proteinsAlimentary proteinsNutritional proteinsBioactive peptidesExorphins

Enzymatic hydrolysis of peptide bonds into absorbable amino acids or smaller peptides to facilitate nutrition or neutralize immunogenic sequences.