earticle

영어

Calcium is a key mineral that affects especially the quality of life as human age. The bioavailability of calcium is currently one of the most important topics in nutrition research and is correlated with gastrointestinal solubility. We applied the poly-γ-glutamic acid, an edible and biodegradable polymer, in order to increase the solubility of calcium. The result showed that γ-PGA enhanced calcium absorption from the small intestine when administered to rat. In vitro, the solubility of calcium was increased in a dose- and molecular weight-dependant manner. And we confirmed the effect of PGA on the calcium uptake in the small intestine using rats as an animal model system. γ-PGA had been approved as functional food ingredient by Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA); its health claim is “the promotion of calcium absorption”. Useful dosage for calcium absorption is suggested to 60~70 mg per day. These studies may suggest more effective applications of calcium supply as the dietary supplements. [This work was supported by a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (No. PJ0083272011)]