Enzymatic treatment of pork protein for the enhancement of iron bioavailability.

This study investigated the effects of partially hydrolysed pork proteins on the bioavailability of non-haem iron. The peptides were derived using either pepsin or a combination of bacterial and fungal proteases, and their ability to deliver iron was evaluated in a rat intestine epithelial tissue model. The greatest iron absorption was achieved with peptides hydrolysed by pepsin of low molecular weight (<6-8 kDa). The peptides hydrolysed with bacterial and fungal enzymes may have bound to the iron too strongly, affecting bioavailability. Finally, hydrolysing proteins using pepsin in the presence of iron produces a complex that resulted in more ferritin expression than mixing the peptides with iron after hydrolysis.
PMID: 29747537 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition - May 13, 2018 Category: Nutrition Tags: Int J Food Sci Nutr Source Type: research