Peptide Overview
Biotechnology: Bringing peptide science to your skin.
In the cosmetic industry biotechnology is synonymous with innovation. Literally speaking the technology of life has emerged as the conrnerstone of modern cosmetology. The foundation of biotechnology to develop cosmetic ingredients with added value. While years ago, the cosmetics industry was solely “Market Driver”. It now thrives or “the science locomotive” fulled by the advent of biotechnologies.
The mission of Biotechnology in Cosmetology is to constantly innovate. The new pathways being highlighted by biotechnology provide formulation. Chemist with adequat bioactive tools to enhance their finish products. The main advantage of Biotechnology derived ingredient residue in the specificity of their action. The most popular and innovative technology in bio-science is peptide synthesis. These active molecules will eventually lead to tailored-made cosmetic products that will work at preventuly against or even alleviating, undesirable skin phenotype. We wish to make available ingredients that will fine-tune their action according to the targeted tissue, sunlighted intensity stress level and cellular, metabolic activity. What may seem science fiction today may as well be part of our daily skin care regimen tomorrow with the help of peptides.
What is Peptide?
Peptides are chains of amino acids. In nature there are 21 natural L-a amino acids that, in various combinations and permutations, make up the peptides and proteins of living things. Virtually every life process involves peptides in some way. Their key role is to regulate body functions such as the release of hormones, the regulation of blood sugar levels, bone metabolism and various neurological processes. Chains containing more than approx. 100 amino acids are generally called proteins.
Peptides play a key role in the growing segment of biopharmaceuticals. Peptide-based drug targets are being identified at an increasingly rapid pace and a variety of new peptide drugs are being developed as novel therapies for cancer, pain treatment, viral infections, diabetes and a host of endocrine and neurological disorders.
Basic Principles of Peptide
Peptide is the condensation of two Alpha amino acid to form a dipeptide, bond between two alpha amino acids called peptide bond.
Amino acids can be covalently bonded together into a polymer by the formation of a amide bond (the peptide bond) between the alpha carboxyl group of one Amino acids and the alpha-amino of the next Amino acids.
A molecule of water is eliminated for each peptide bond formed and the products is called a peptide (e.g. dipeptide below). The portion of the Amino acids left in the peptide is terned an amino acid residue.
The resulting Co (Called as Carboxyl)-NH (Called as Amide Group) linkage is known as peptide bond. Polymen composed of two, three, a few (3~10) and many amino acids residue are known, respectively, dipeptide, tripeptide, oligopeptide and polypeptide.
Proteins are molecules that consists of one or more polypeptide chains.
A molecule containing two amino acids joined by a peptide bond is a Dipeptide; one with three amino acids held together by two peptide bonds is a Tripeptide; four is a Tetrapeptide; etc. In general, Peptides contain 12 or fewer amino acid residues. An Oligopeptide contains between 12 and 20 amino acids and a Polypeptide contains greater than 20 amino acids. Twenty appears to be a magic number with respect to peptide/protein structure. Oligopeptides with 20 or fewer amino acids do not fold into, do assume a single low energy conformation, rather they exist in numerous random shapes. Molecules with greater than 20 amino acids very often fold into a single stable conformation, a single low energy conformation. The terms polypeptide and protein are often used interchangeably. However, the term protein is often reserved for molecules that perform some cellular function.
To see more information about Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins: Definition.pdf 
