You may have heard of some of the different kinds of peptides, including Cyclic, Bioactive, and Antimicrobial. You might be wondering what those terms mean. If so, this article will help you understand what each term means. Here is a quick overview of each type:
Antimicrobial peptides
Antimicrobial peptides are biologically active peptides that exert cytotoxicity on pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, they serve as immune modulators in higher organisms. These peptides have shown promising potential as drug candidates in the future. Some of their bioactive features include: a diverse range of secondary structures, ability to inhibit the development of resistance in target cells, and numerous other beneficial characteristics.
These peptides are small molecular proteins with broad spectrum antimicrobial activities. The majority of AMPs are cationic peptides, and the spatial arrangement of hydrophobic and cationic amino acids promotes their interaction with bacterial membranes. Moreover, these peptides are initially bound to the negatively charged membrane by electrostatic interaction. As such, they inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Cyclic peptides
Cyclic peptides are a class of small organic molecules, some of which are used in drug discovery. The cyclic nature of these compounds makes them attractive lead molecules for drug discovery, as well as nice tools for biochemical research. Scientists have made numerous efforts to create biologically active cyclic peptide compounds. There are two major approaches to synthesis: genetic and synthetic. The latter approach provides more versatile cyclic peptides.
The cyclic peptides were found in a variety of plant sources. While SFTI-1 contains only one disulfide bond, kalata B1 has three, resulting in a ‘cysteine knot’ motif. In the former case, two disulfide bonds form a ring and a third threads through. These cyclic peptides were then subjected to extensive bioinformatics analyses to discover their properties.
Nonprotein peptides
Despite their numerous benefits, bioactive nonprotein peptides face many challenges and are yet to be commercially produced. These problems include lack of scalable production methods, low gastrointestinal stability, lack of well-designed clinical trials, and an absence of substantial evidence to support the health claims of these peptides. This review addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by these peptides, and offers practical approaches to their production.
Several food products contain peptides, which are useful additives for improving food quality. Often, these compounds are used as sweeteners, flavour enhancers, and bulking agents in light beverages. In addition, they can have better functional properties than their parent proteins. Their lower molecular weight, decreased side chains, and higher hydrophobic group exposure are among the characteristics that allow them to be useful in the food industry. Peptides also exhibit different emulsifying properties than intact proteins.
Bioactive peptides
In addition to proteins, food contains bioactive peptides, which have many functions in the body. In recent years, these peptides have been studied extensively in the fields of nutrition, food science, and wound healing. Additionally, researchers have studied bioactive peptides in food additives to improve the health of consumers. But why are they so important? What is the difference between these proteins and their food-derived counterparts?
Proteolytic enzymes have a pronounced antioxidant activity, but they are not the only source of bioactive peptides. Peptides that are produced from plant-based sources are also potent antioxidants. They can also protect against lipid peroxidation and prevent the degeneration of cells. Besides being effective antioxidants, peptides may improve the oxidative stability of meat and improve its functional properties.
Bioactive oligopeptides
In general, bioactive oligopeptides are molecules containing two or more identical amino acids, preferably selected from the group consisting of glycine, alanine, b-alanine, serine, histidine, and glutamic acid. These oligopeptides have the ability to enhance several parameters of cell culture, including the number of viable cells and viability at day six and seven.
They are polymers made up of two to twenty amino acids linked together by amide bonds. The bioactive properties of natural oligopeptides, which have a wide range of functions, make them increasingly important in biotechnological and pharmaceutical research. Tripeptide glutathione, for example, is a bioactive oligopeptide, and the human pheromone is a treasure trove of drug candidates.
