Analysis of proteins, peptides, and amino acids

Proteins are a group of large and complex molecules that serve numerous roles in the body, ranging from structural to regulation functions. As bioactive peptides, they constitute a significant portion of plants and other food sources and are of great interest to human population for their health benefits. They also possess a tremendous industrial potential, particularly upon introduction of engineering techniques that allow enhancement of enzyme properties for more efficient biocatalysis applicable in food, pharmaceutical, medical, and nanobiotechnology industries. Current efforts are being put into optimization of protein and peptides extraction and identification techniques, which could account for their better exploitation. One of the major concerns, however, is reduction of interactions between medications and proteins consumed as part of the regular diet, as well as enhancement of protein-based drugs oral bioavailability. This book chapter discusses all the mentioned points, from historical perspective to the novel contemporary discoveries.