Food-Derived Zinc-Chelating Peptides: Coordination Chemistry, Intestinal Transport, and Nutritional Functionality

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Biochemistry
• Peptide Chemistry
• Mineral Metabolism

Background:

• Food-derived zinc-chelating peptides (ZCPs) are advanced nutritional carriers.
• Peptide-mediated zinc delivery offers enhanced bioavailability and stability over conventional supplements.
• ZCPs improve gastrointestinal stability, reduce mineral precipitation, and boost intestinal transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the mechanisms by which ZCPs regulate zinc homeostasis.
• To investigate the synergistic biological activities of peptide-zinc complexes.
• To explore the potential of ZCPs in precision nutrition and functional delivery systems.

Main Methods:

• Spectroscopic characterization of peptide-zinc coordination.
• Computational modeling of zinc-peptide interactions.
• Systems nutrition approaches to analyze physiological functionality.

Main Results:

• ZCPs regulate zinc homeostasis via coordination chemistry, transporter-mediated absorption, epithelial barrier regulation, and gut microenvironment interactions.
• Peptide-zinc complexes exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, metabolic regulatory, and gut-protective effects.
• Advances in characterization and modeling deepen understanding of zinc-peptide coordination and function.

Conclusions:

• Food-derived ZCPs represent a promising approach for enhancing zinc bioavailability and delivering synergistic health benefits.
• Further research is needed to validate clinical efficacy and understand transport kinetics and controlled release.
• ZCPs hold significant potential for precision nutrition and next-generation functional zinc delivery systems.