The effect of pea albumin 1F on glucose metabolism in mice

Pea albumin 1F (PA1F), a plant peptide isolated from pea seeds, can dramatically increase blood glucose concentration by subcutaneous injection with a dosage of 5 or 10 μg/g (body weight) in normal and type II diabetic mice (KK/upj-Ay). The voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC-1) has been identified as the PA1F binding protein from mice pancreatic cell membrane, which may be involved in the regulation of enhancing blood glucose in response to PA1F binding. The results clearly show that peptide-signaling molecules from plants can affect mammalian physiological functions, especially, in association with glucose metabolism.