Identification of food-derived bioactive peptides in blood and other biological samples

Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of food-derived peptides in human blood after ingestion of enzymatic hydrolysates of food proteins, while most peptides in food are degraded into amino acids during digestion and absorption. To capture and clarify the food-derived peptides in blood, solid-phase extraction (SPE) using a mini-spin column packed with a strong cation exchanger was developed. This technique allows the use of a nonvolatile acid such as trichloroacetic acid, a strong protein denaturant, for the deproteinizing procedure. To improve resolution of hydrophilic peptide and increase specificity and sensitivity in the detection of peptide by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) after subfractionation by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), peptides are derivatized with phenyl isothiocyanate. The resultant phenyl thiocarbamyl (PTC)-peptides can be resolved with high resolution and sensitivity by RP-HPLC. By comparing chromatograms of PTC derivatives from blood before and after ingestion of a peptide sample, food-derived peptide can be detected. The isolated PTC-peptide can be applied to a peptide sequencer based on the Edman degradation reaction.