Comparison of the peptidome released from keratins in Saiga antelope horn and goat horn under simulated gastrointestinal digestion

Goat horn (Caprae Hircus Cornu, GH) has been used as a substitute for Saiga antelope horn (Saigae Tataricae Cornu, SAH) in the clinic and the pharmaceutical industry. In the present study, peptides released from SAH and GH under simulated gastric and intestinal digestion were identified. The results showed that most of the peptides released from SAH and GH under simulated gastrointestinal digestion were hydrophilic, and over 75% of the peptides from keratins (KRTs) were hydrophilic. In total, over 58% of the identified peptides were released from KRTs, and were from the four main regions of KRTs. The peptide features and the peptide release profiles from KRTs in SAH and GH were similar, which may provide a method for the identification of sustainable alternatives to replace the threatened SAH, and provide further evidence of the feasibility of using GH as a replacement for SAH based on their peptidomic analysis.