Structural characterization and functional evaluation of deer sinew peptide-calcium chelate for intestinal calcium transport and osteogenic differentiation.
Deer sinew peptides just got a serious upgrade in the lab. Researchers from Changchun University of Science and Technology have developed a new peptide-calcium chelate—deer sinew peptide calcium chelate (DSPs-Ca)—that’s showing promise for boosting calcium transport and bone formation in cell models.
Int J Biol Macromol
by Sun L, He Z, Du R et al.
“Structural characterization and functional evaluation of deer sinew peptide-calcium chelate for intestinal calcium transport and osteogenic differentiation. Sun L(1), He Z(2), Du R(3), Pei H(4), Liu J(4). Author information: (1)College of medicine, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, 130600, China; College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China. Electronic address: 20221595@mails.jlau.edu.cn. (2)College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China. Electronic address: heather78@jlau.edu.cn. (3)Jilin Provincial Engineering Research Center for Efficient Breeding and Product Development of Sika Deer, Changchun, 130118, China. (4)College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, 130118, China. Deer sinew is rich in collagen, making it an excellent raw material for preparing bioactive peptides. This study developed functional foods by combining deer sinew peptides with calcium ions to form deer sinew peptide calcium chelates (DSPs-Ca). The preparation, characterization, and stability assessment of DSPs-Ca were conducted. Utilizing Caco-2 cell monolayer and MC3T3-E1 osteoblast models, the mechanism of action promoting intestinal calcium absorption and inducing osteoblast differentiation and mineralization was investigated at the gene and protein levels. Results showed that process-optimized DSPs-Ca exhibited excellent stability under various physiological conditions. In the Caco-2 monolayer model, DSPs-Ca significantly enhanced calcium ion transmembrane transport and increased the expression of calcium channel-related genes and proteins (TRPV6, Calbinin-D9k, and PMCA1b), suggesting it may improve calcium bioavailability by regulating intestinal calcium absorption pathways. In addition, DSPs-Ca significantly promoted the proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization processes of MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts, enhancing their horizontal and spatial migration capabilities. Further analysis showed that DSPs-Ca upregulates the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins. Therefore, DSPs-Ca may have a dual function of promoting calcium absorption and bone formation. Copyright © 2026. Published by Elsevier B.V. Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.”
What’s the big deal? Deer sinew is loaded with collagen, making it a solid source for bioactive peptides. The team combined these peptides with calcium ions, creating DSPs-Ca. Then they put it through a battery of tests for stability and function. The chelate held up under all sorts of physiological conditions, which matters if you care about real-world use.
The real action came when they dropped DSPs-Ca into Caco-2 cell models (think: artificial gut lining) and MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts (future bone cells). The results:
DSPs-Ca ramped up transmembrane calcium transport in the Caco-2 model—meaning more calcium got through, not just floating around.
The chelate cranked up expression of key calcium-handling genes and proteins: TRPV6, Calbinin-D9k, and PMCA1b.
In the bone cell model, DSPs-Ca did even more. It boosted cell proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization. Cells migrated and matured faster.
Genes and proteins linked to osteogenesis (bone formation) were upregulated across the board.
Key takeaway: DSPs-Ca isn’t just about shuttling calcium into cells. It’s also flipping genetic switches for bone growth. Researchers looking at bone health, calcium bioavailability, or functional foods should pay attention here.
Explore more on bioactive peptides and their applications in the peptide research index. For those sourcing materials, check out the vendor directory. Deer sinew peptide research just leveled up—expect more in this space.
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