Independent education resourceInformation here does not replace care from a qualified health professional.
Peptide Therapy GuideClear peptide education

Educational guide

Study: Pig skin collagen peptide and iron bond to treat ...

“Overall, our results elucidate the interactions between gut bacteria and related cytokines and reveal the mechanisms underlying the anti-IDA effect of PSCP-Fe,” the team of Chinese researchers wrote. “They will thus provide a theoretical foundation for PSCP-F

Written by Peptide Therapy Guide Editorial Team
For education only

This guide cannot diagnose a condition or recommend a personal treatment plan. Discuss medical questions with a qualified professional.

“Overall, our results elucidate the interactions between gut bacteria and related cytokines and reveal the mechanisms underlying the anti-IDA effect of PSCP-Fe,” the team of Chinese researchers wrote. “They will thus provide a theoretical foundation for PSCP-Fe as a new iron nutritional supplement.”

Published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the study was supported by several research funds in the eastern Chinese province of Shandong. 

Pig skin for iron deficiency

Iron deficiency anemia, a condition in which the blood lacks sufficient red blood cells, is the most common form of micronutrient malnutrition. The World Health Organization estimates that it affects over two billion people, mostly in low- and middle-income countries and largely due to insufficient intake and malabsorption of iron.

Effects range from intellectual disability, non- specific immune deficiency, inflammation and cognitive impairment in children to tumors, paralysis, tissue ischemia and digestive system diseases in adults.

Current treatments commonly rely on iron supplementation with daily doses of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4), but the researchers point to issues with iron bioavailability, lower absorption and poor stability, along with side effects like colitis and liver damage. They hypothesized that a pig skin peptide-iron chelate would improve the composition of gut bacteria to help regulate iron absorption and reduce oxidative stress in the body. 

“There are only a few studies that explore the use of pig skin collagen peptides (PSCP) for the preparation of ferrous chelates,” the study noted. “The therapeutic effect of these chelates on IDA has never been reported, and thus, the modulation of gut microbiota in the IDA model remains ambiguous.”

Study details

To prepare the PSCP-Fe, the researchers extracted collagen from fresh pig skin and submitted it to a multi-step process to grab and bind pig skin peptides to the iron compounds. Analysis and infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the amino acids in the PSCP “chelated readily with Fe2+ through their functional groups.”

“In this study, we first prepared PSCP by enzymatic hydrolysis of pig skin with trypsin and pepsin,” the researchers explained. “PSCP was then chelated with Fe2+ to obtain the PSCP-ferrous chelates (PSCP-Fe). An IDA rat model was then established to evaluate the potential of PSCP-Fe for the treatment of IDA.”

The trial divided a group of 48 four-week-old, male Sprague-Dawley rats (equivalent to 4- to 6-year-old humans) into an IDA test group that consumed a low- Fe2+ diet and a control group of eight rats fed on regular rodent food. 

After evaluation, the IDA-induced group was further separated into five groups of eight rats: the model group, the FeSO4 group, the low-dose PSCP-Fe group, the medium-dose PSCP-Fe group and the high-dose PSCP-FE group. Researchers administered solutions by intragastric injection once a day for three weeks. 

“PSCP-Fe treated reversed the hematology-related indexes, such as red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentrate (MCHC), serum ferritin (SF), serum hepcidin (HEPC) and serum transferrin receptor (TFR),” the researchers noted. Novel peptide-iron chelate proved more effective than FeSO4 and “alleviated the hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis, Fe2+ loss and injury in IDA rats.”

Fecal sample analysis also showed that the PSCP-Fe treatment could modulate the IDA-induced dysbiosis of intestinal flora and restored a microbial community like that in the control – revealing Subdoligranulum and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group as potential microbial markers for effective PSCP-Fe action in the treatment of IDA.

In a follow-up study, the researchers will further explore the role of PSCP in Fe2+ absorption and whether gut microbiota is related to PSCP-Fe absorption.

Source: Frontiers in Nutrition

“A new iron supplement: The chelate of pig skin collagen peptide and Fe2+ can treat iron-deficiency anemia by modulating intestinal flora”

doi: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1055725

Authors: Shan Jiang et al.

Connected reading

Helpful context for this guide

Source-derived material selected through this article’s indexed topics.

Related questions

01What drink raises hemoglobin?

Iron-rich drinks may help a person to raise their hemoglobin levels. This could include: a smoothie or juice containing kale or spinach liquid iron supplements prune juice beetroot juice

Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com ↗
02What are normal hemoglobin levels?

Hemoglobin levels are measured as the amount of hemoglobin in grams (gm) per deciliter (dL) in the entire blood (1 dL = 100 mL). Normal ranges for hemoglobin depend on the age, ethnicity, and sex:

Source: www.medicinenet.com ↗
03What Causes Pernicious Anemia?

Your body needs plenty of healthy red blood cells. These carry oxygen to every part of your body. Without them, your tissues and organs don’t work properly. Vitamin B12 is a crucial part of this process. If you have pernicious anemia, your body produces antibodies that destroy a stomach protein called “intrinsic factor” (IF). Without IF, vitamin B12 cannot be effectively absorbed from food. IF normally carries B12 from the food you eat to cells in your small intestine. From there, B12 normally makes its way to your bloodstream. The antibodies also attack cells in the mucosal lining (moist inner lining) of your stomach and nerve cells. This stops the absorption of B12 as part of your immune system's response. This is why pernicious anemia is considered an autoimmune disease. It's not clear how you get PA, though genetic and environmental factors may play a role. B12 is a vitamin found only in animal products such as meat and dairy, although sometimes breads and cereals are fortified with it. It plays an important role in keeping your blood and nerve cells healthy and in making DNA. Note that PA isn't caused by not eating foods that contain B12, but rather by your body's inability to absorb B12. Some health issues make you more likely to have PA. These include:

Source: www.webmd.com ↗
P

About the author

Peptide Therapy Guide Editorial Team

Editorial team for Peptide Therapy Guide.

View all articles →

Continue learning

Related guides