![Bovine β-casomorphin 7](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Bovine_%CE%B2-casomorphin_7.svg)
Casomorphin is an
opioid
Opioids are substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine-like effects. Medically they are primarily used for pain relief, including anesthesia. Other medical uses include suppression of diarrhea, replacement therapy for opioid us ...
peptide
Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides.
A ...
(protein fragment) derived from the digestion of the milk protein
casein
Casein ( , from Latin ''caseus'' "cheese") is a family of related phosphoproteins (CSN1S1, αS1, aS2, CSN2, β, K-casein, κ) that are commonly found in mammalian milk, comprising about 80% of the proteins in cow's milk and between 20% and 60% of ...
.
[
]
Health
Digestive enzymes
Digestive enzymes are a group of enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption into the cells of the body. Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tracts of anim ...
can break casein
Casein ( , from Latin ''caseus'' "cheese") is a family of related phosphoproteins (CSN1S1, αS1, aS2, CSN2, β, K-casein, κ) that are commonly found in mammalian milk, comprising about 80% of the proteins in cow's milk and between 20% and 60% of ...
down into peptides
Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides.
A p ...
that have some biological activity
In pharmacology, biological activity or pharmacological activity describes the beneficial or adverse effects of a drug on living matter. When a drug is a complex chemical mixture, this activity is exerted by the substance's active ingredient or ...
in cells and in laboratory animals though conclusive causal effects on humans have not been established.[European Food Safety Authority. 1 February 200]
Review of the potential health impact of β-casomorphins and related peptides
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Although research has shown high rates of use of complementary and alternative therapies for children with autism, including gluten and/or casein exclusion diets, there was a lack of evidence that these diets had any effect.
If opioid peptides breach the intestinal barrier, typically linked to permeability and constrained biosynthesis of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), they can attach to opioid receptors.
Elucidation requires a systemic framework that acknowledges that public-health effects of food-derived opioids are complex with varying genetic susceptibility and confounding factors, together with system-wide interactions and feedbacks.
List of known casomorphins (non-exhaustive)
β-Casomorphins 1–3
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-OH
*Chemical formula: C23H27N3O5
*Molecular weight: 425.48 g/mol
Bovine β-casomorphins 1–4
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-OH
*Chemical formula: C28H35N4O6
*Molecular weight: 522.61 g/mol
Bovine β-casomorphin 1–4, amide
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-NH2
*Chemical formula: C28H35N5O5
*Molecular weight: 521.6 g/mol
Also known as morphiceptin
Morphiceptin is a tetrapeptide (Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-NH2) that is a selective μ-opioid receptor agonist. It is derived from β-casomorphin and has over 1,000 times selectivity for μ- over δ-opioid receptors. When injected intracerebroventricular ...
Bovine β-casomorphin 5
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-OH
*Chemical formula: C30H37N5O7
*Molecular weight: 594.66 g/mol
Bovine β-casomorphin 7
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro-Ile-OH
*Chemical formula: C41H55N7O9
*Molecular weight: 789.9 g/mol
Bovine β-casomorphin 8
*Structure: H-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro-Ile-Pro-OH
*Chemical formula: C46H62N8O10
*Molecular weight: 887.00 g/mol
(Note: There is also a form of bovine β-casomorphin 8 that has histidine instead of proline in position 8, depending on whether it is derived from A1 or A2 beta-casein.)
References
{{Opioidergics
Dairy products
Peptides