Evaluating the capability of soybean peptides as calcium ion carriers: a study through sequence analysis and molecular dynamics simulations

Calcium homeostasis imbalance in the body can lead to a variety of chronic diseases. Supplement efficiency is essential. Peptide calcium chelate, a fourth-generation calcium supplement, offers easy absorption and minimal side effects. Its effectiveness relies on peptide's calcium binding capacity. However, research on amino acid sequences in peptides with high calcium binding capacity (HCBC) is limited, affecting the efficient identification of such peptides. This study used soybean peptides (SP), separated and purified by gel chromatography, to obtain HCBC peptide (137.45 mu g mg-1) and normal peptide (<= 95.78 mu g mg-1). Mass spectrometry identified the sequences of these peptides, and an analysis of the positional distribution of characteristic amino acids followed. Two HCBC peptides with sequences GGDLVS (271.55 mu g mg-1) and YEGVIL (272.54 mu g mg-1) were discovered. Molecular dynamics showed that when either aspartic acid is located near the N-terminal's middle, or glutamic acid is near the end, or in cases of continuous Asp or Glu, the binding speed, probability, and strength between the peptide and calcium ions are superior compared to those at other locations. The study's goal was to clarify how the positions of characteristic amino acids in peptides affect calcium binding, aiding in developing peptide calcium chelates as a novel calcium supplement. Peptides bind more calcium ions when Asp is near the N-terminal middle, Glu is at the end, or when there is continuous Asp/Glu.