Effect of soluble soybean protein hydrolysate-calcium complexes on calcium uptake by Caco-2 cells

Soybean protein hydrolysates (SPHs) bind with calcium, forming soluble SPH-calcium complexes via the carboxyl groups of glutamic and aspartic acid residues. However, their effect on calcium uptake is still unclear. In this study, Caco-2 cells were used to estimate the effect of SPH-calcium complexes with different molecular weights on calcium uptake in vitro. The changes in intracellular calcium ion concentration were measured by Fura-2 loading and expressed in fluorescence intensity. SPH-calcium complexes could promote calcium uptake. Improved fluorescence intensity was significantly different in SPH-calcium complexes (10 to 30 kDa), SPH-calcium complexes (3 to 10 kDa), and SPH-calcium complexes (I to 3 kDa). The maximum levels of relative fluorescence intensity (18.3) occurred with SPH-calcium complexes (10 to 30 kDa). The effect of SPH-calcium complexes (10 to 30 kDa) on Ca2+ increase was determined to be concentration dependent in the range of 0.5 to 4 mg/mL. Our results indicate that soybean protein itself might be responsible for promoting calcium absorption.