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Structure and Production of Casomorphins

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Opioid Food Peptides

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Abstract

Casomorphins are bovine and human milk-derived opioid peptides. These are released from casein milk proteins. Among casomorphins, β-casomorphins (BCMs) are the most abundant group of exorphins released from the β-casein of human and bovine milk. Casomorphins differ from each other on the source of milk (bovine/human) and the number and sequence of amino acids. The commonly studied casomorphins include bovine BCM-4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and neocasomorphin-6 and human BCM-4, 5, 7, 8 and α-casomorphin. Among all casomorphins, BCM-7 is the most significant exorphins studied, because it correlates with the incidence of few human illnesses. BCMs have selectivity for all three types of opioid receptors including μ, δ, and κ. These exorphins (except α-casomorphin) act as agonists for all these opioid receptors. Casomorphins are released from the milk casein during gastrointestinal digestion (in vivo), simulated gastrointestinal digestion (in vitro), or fermentation. Reports have established the production of these peptides from various types of milk, cheese samples, infant formulas, and yogurt. The A1/A2 milk hypothesis establishes that BCM-7 is released from only A1 milk of bovines due to the presence of histidine at position 67 of the β-casein. The presence of proline at this position in A2 milk resists such cleavage and hence this exorphin is not produced from this variant of β-casein.

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, Sri Pratap College, Cluster University Srinagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Mohammad Raies Ul Haq

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Ul Haq, M.R. (2020). Structure and Production of Casomorphins. In: Opioid Food Peptides. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6102-3_2

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