Protein digestomics: Integrated platforms to study food-protein digestion and derived functional and active peptides

In the global perspective of “foodomics”, tracking the fate of food proteins upon gastrointestinal (GI) digestion assumes a particular relevance, because the products of protein degradation comprise possible functional components with positive (health-promoting activity) or adverse (allergy, intolerance, toxicity) effects on human health. Here we review the recent contributions of the ‘omic’ sciences to characterize the protein “digestomes” and, in perspective, to validate the experimental models of digestion, with the ultimate scope of elucidating the kinetics and dynamics of dietary proteins.

• The protein digestome is all the products of gastrointestinal digestion of protein.
• Several in vitro and in vivo models of protein digestion have been developed.
• Food-derived peptides may exert beneficial or harmful effects on human health.
• MS-based integrated approaches can challenge the complexity of the digestome.
• Standardization of analytical protocols provides key insights into the digestome.