DIGESTION OF

PROTEINS
GAJULAPALLI SHRUTHI SREENIVAS
ROLL NO 68
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• WHAT ARE PROTEINS
• HYDROLYSIS OF PROTEINS
• DIGESTION OF PROTEINS IN STOMACH
• DIGESTION OF PROTEINS IN SMALL
INTESTINE
• DIGESTION OF PEPTIDES IN ENTEROCYTES
(Line the small intestine)
 What is DIGESTION?!

Break down of complex molecules into simple absorbable

form
WHAT ARE PROTEINS ?!!

A protein is a naturally occurring, extremely

complex substance that consists of amino acid
residues joined by peptide bonds
 PROTEIN
DIGESTION

poly peptides

Small polypeptides

peptides

free amino acids

ACTIVATION OF GI PROTEASES
In STOMACH
Pepsinogen
low ph (2-3)

Pepsin
 DIGESTION OF PROTEINS IN STOMACH

* Stomach has parietal or oxyntic cells where HCl is secreted in glands at about pH
of 0.8
The acidic pH is highly favourable for acidity of pepsin activity

Most important feature of pepsin digestion is its ability to digest the collagen that is
affected little by other digestive enzymes.

Pepsin only initiate the process of protein digestion , usually providing only 10-20% of
the total protein digestion to convert the protein to proteoses , peptones and few
polypeptides
 Protein
Pepsin

*Amino acids
*oligo peptides
ACTIVATION OF PROTEASES
In SMALL INTESTINE
Trypsinogen

Enterokinase

Trypsin
Trypsinogen Chymotrypsinogen Proelastase

Trypsin Trypsin

trypsin chymotrypsin elastase

Procarboxypaptidase B
Procarboxypeptidase A

Trypsin
Carboxypeptidase B
carboxypeptidase A
 DIGESTION OF PROTEINS
IN
SMALL INTESTINE

Most protein digestion occurs in upper small intestine ,in the

duodenum and jejunum ,under the influence of proteolytic
enzymes from pancreatic secretion

Major proteolytic pancreatic enzymes

trypsin , chymotrypsin,carboxypolypeptidase and elastase
 Digestion of PEPTIDES in
enterocytes

The last digestive stage of proteins in the intestinal lumen is

achieved by enterocytes that line the villi of the small intestine,
mainly duodenum and jejunum

enterocytes are nothing but cells of intestine

 Reference
guyton and hall
More than 99% of the final protein digestive products that are absorbed
are individuals amino acids with only rare absorption of PEPTIDES and
very rare absorption of whole protein molecules.

Even these few absorbed molecules of whole protein can sometimes

cause serious allergic or immunologic disturbances