The Formation, Structural Characteristics, Absorption Pathways and Bioavailability of Calcium–Peptide Chelates

Calcium is one of the most important mineral elements in the human body and is closely related to the maintenance of human health. To prevent calcium deficiency, various calcium supplements have been developed, but their application tends to be limited by low calcium content and highly irritating effects on the stomach, among other side effects. Recently, calcium–peptide chelates, which have excellent stability and are easily absorbed, have received attention as an alternative emerging calcium supplement. Calcium-binding peptides (CaBP) are usually obtained via the hydrolysis of animal or plant proteins, and calcium-binding capacity (CaBC) can be further improved through chromatographic purification techniques. In calcium ions, the phosphate group, carboxylic group and nitrogen atom in the peptide are the main binding sites, and the four modes of combination are the unidentate mode, bidentate mode, bridging mode and α mode. The stability and safety of calcium–peptide chelates are discussed in this paper, the intestinal absorption pathways of calcium elements and peptides are described, and the bioavailability of calcium–peptide chelates, both in vitro and in vivo, is also introduced. This review of the research status of calcium–peptide chelates aims to provide a reasonable theoretical basis for their application as calcium supplementation products.

Intra-Amniotic Administration (Gallus gallus) of Cicer arietinum and Lens culinaris Prebiotics Extracts and Duck Egg White Peptides Affects Calcium Status and Intestinal Functionality

Calcium (Ca) is one of the most abundant inorganic elements in the human body and has many important physiological roles. Prebiotics and bioactive peptides are two important substances used to promote calcium uptake. However, the difference in mechanisms of the calcium uptake from these two supplements is not clear. By using the Gallus gallus model and the intra-amniotic administration procedure, the aim of this study was to investigate whether Ca status, intestinal functionality, and health-promoting bacterial populations were affected by prebiotics extracted from chickpea and lentil, and duck egg white peptides (DPs). Eleven groups (non-injected; 18 MΩ H₂O; 4 mmol/L CaCl₂; 50 mg/mL chickpea + 4 mmol/L CaCl₂; 50 mg/mL lentil + 4 mmol/L CaCl₂; 40 mg/mL DPs + 4 mmol/L CaCl₂; 5 mg/mL Val-Ser-Glu-Glu (VSEE) + 4 mmol/L CaCl₂; 50 mg/mL chickpea; 50 mg/mL lentil; 40 mg/mL DPs; 5 mg/mL VSEE) were utilized. Upon hatch, blood, cecum, small intestine, liver and bone were collected for assessment of serum bone alkaline phosphate level (BALP), the relative abundance of intestinal microflora, expression of Ca-related genes, brush border membrane (BBM) functional genes, and liver and bone mineral levels, respectively. The BALP level increased in the presence of lentil, DPs and VSEE (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of probiotics increased significantly (p < 0.05) by VSEE + Ca and chickpea. The expression of CalbindinD9k (Ca transporter) increased (p < 0.05) in Ca, chickpea + Ca and lentil + Ca groups. In addition, the brush border membrane functionality genes expressions increased (p < 0.05) by the chickpea or lentil extracts. Prebiotics and DPs beneficially affected the intestinal microflora and duodenal villus surface area. This research expands the understanding of the prebiotics’ properties of chickpea and lentil extracts, and peptides’ effects on calcium metabolism and gut health.

Desalted Duck Egg White Peptides Promote Calcium Uptake and Modulate Bone Formation in the Retinoic Acid-Induced Bone Loss Rat and Caco-2 Cell Model

Desalted duck egg white peptides (DPs) have been proven to promote calcium uptake in Caco-2 cells and rats treated with a calcium-deficient diet. The retinoic acid-induced bone loss model was used to evaluate the effect of DPs on calcium absorption and bone formation. Three-month-old Wistar female rats were treated with 0.9% saline, DPs (800 mg/kg), or alendronate (5 mg/kg) for three weeks immediately after retinoic acid treatment (80 mg/kg) once daily for two weeks. The model group was significantly higher in serum bone alkaline phosphatase than the other three groups (p < 0.05), but lower in calcium absorption rate, serum osteocalcin, bone weight index, bone calcium content, bone mineral density, and bone max load. After treatment with DPs or alendronate, the absorption rate increased and some serum and bone indices recovered. The morphology results indicated bone tissue form were ameliorated and numbers of osteoclasts decreased after supplementation with DPs or alendronate. The in vitro study showed that the transient receptor potential vanilloid 6 (TRPV6) calcium channel was the main transport pathway of both DPs and Val-Ser-Glu-Glu peptitde (VSEE), which was identified from DPs. Our results indicated that DPs could be a promising alternative to current therapeutic agents for bone loss because of the promotion of calcium uptake and regulation of bone formation.

A Specific Peptide with Calcium-Binding Capacity from Defatted Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysates and the Molecular Properties

Marine microorganisms have been proposed as a new kind of protein source. Efforts are needed in order to transform the protein-rich biological wastes left after lipid extraction into value-added bio-products. Thus, the utilization of protein recovered from defatted Schizochytrium sp. by-products presents an opportunity. A specific peptide Tyr-Leu (YL) with calcium-binding capacity was purified from defatted Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration chromatography and RP-HPLC. The calcium-binding activity of YL reached 126.34 ± 3.40 μg/mg. The calcium-binding mechanism was investigated through ultraviolet, fluorescence and infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that calcium ions could form dative bonds with carboxyl oxygen atoms and amino nitrogen atoms as well as the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of amide bonds. YL-Ca exhibited excellent thermal stability and solubility, which was beneficial for its absorption and transport in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the cellular uptake of calcium in Caco-2 cells showed that YL-Ca could enhance calcium uptake efficiency and protect calcium ions against precipitation caused by dietary inhibitors such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate and metal ions. The findings indicate that the by-product of Schizochytrium sp. is a promising source for making peptide-calcium bio-products as algae-based functional supplements for human beings.

Novel Peptide with Specific Calcium-Binding Capacity from Schizochytrium sp. Protein Hydrolysates and Calcium Bioavailability in Caco-2 Cells

Peptide-calcium can probably be a suitable supplement to improve calcium absorption in the human body. In this study, a specific peptide Phe-Tyr (FY) with calcium-binding capacity was purified from Schizochytrium sp. protein hydrolysates through gel filtration chromatography and reversed phase HPLC. The calcium-binding capacity of FY reached 128.77 ± 2.57 μg/mg. Results of ultraviolet spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy showed that carboxyl groups, amino groups, and amido groups were the major chelating sites. FY-Ca exhibited excellent thermal stability and solubility, which were beneficial to be absorbed and transported in the basic intestinal tract of the human body. Moreover, the calcium bioavailability in Caco-2 cells showed that FY-Ca could enhance calcium uptake efficiency by more than three times when compared with CaCl₂, and protect calcium ions against dietary inhibitors, such as tannic acid, oxalate, phytate, and Zn²⁺. Our findings further the progress of algae-based peptide-calcium, suggesting that FY-Ca has the potential to be developed as functionally nutraceutical additives.