Proteases as digestive aids
Abstract
The human digestive system is a complex organ containing millions of different cell types. These cells develop, interact and communicate in a complicated and regulated process, exhibiting notable plasticity. Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, that are secreted in different regions of the digestive tract, i.e. the stomach, pancreas and small intestine, play a major role in protein digestion. Abnormal levels of proteases can lead to clinical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and nutrient malabsorption. Protease enzyme therapy is a treatment option to restore pancreatic activity and/or digest ingested proteins in the digestive tract. This chapter provides an overview of the different types of endogenous proteases in the gastrointestinal tract, exogenous sources, and a summary of current knowledge of select disease conditions, for example, pancreatic insufficiency and celiac disease, where supplementary protease therapy show promise as a treatment option.
RAS ID
36900
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
2019
School
School of Science
Copyright
subscription content
Publisher
Elsevier
Recommended Citation
Bose, U., Howitt, C. A., & Colgrave, M. L. (2019). Proteases as digestive aids. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22466-9
Comments
Bose, U., Howitt, C. A., & Colgrave, M. L. (2019). Proteases as digestive aids. In L. Melton, F. Shahidi & P. Varelis (Eds.), Reference module in food science: Encyclopedia of food chemistry (pp. 314-321). Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100596-5.22466-9