[Biochemical basis of enteral nutrition]

Basic biochemical studies have demonstrated the products of protein intraluminal digestion are amino acids and peptides, and the those amino acids as well as small peptides are absorbed by independent mechanisms. The formers are absorbed by specific absorption systems mediated by carriers. The small peptides (di-and tripeptides) are absorbed intact from and may be intracelularlly hydrolised. Peptides with four or more residues are hydrolysed by peptidases located on the brush border of the intestinal villi and then absorbed as amino acids and/or small peptides. Such an absorption through a peptide mechanism is faster than the absorption of free amino acids. These are basic aspects that should direct the use of protein partial enzymatic hydrolisate in human nutrition.