Rubiscolin

The rubiscolins are a group of opioid peptide

Opioid peptide

Opioid Peptides are short sequences of amino acids that mimic the effect of opiates in the brain. Opioid peptides may be produced by the body itself, for example endorphins, or be absorbed from partially digested food . The effect of these peptides vary, but they all resemble opiates...

s which are formed during digestion of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco

RuBisCO

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, most commonly known by the shorter name RuBisCO, is an enzyme that is used in the Calvin cycle to catalyze the first major step of carbon fixation, a process by which the atoms of atmospheric carbon dioxide are made available to organisms in the...

) protein from spinach

Spinach

Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...

 leaves. Rubiscolins mimic the effects of opiates and therefore influence the brain. These peptides have much in common with the better known gluten exorphins. The rubiscolins' impact on mental health

Mental health

Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life...

 is not yet known.

The rubiscolins are a group of opioid peptide

Opioid peptide

Opioid Peptides are short sequences of amino acids that mimic the effect of opiates in the brain. Opioid peptides may be produced by the body itself, for example endorphins, or be absorbed from partially digested food . The effect of these peptides vary, but they all resemble opiates...

s which are formed during digestion of the ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco

RuBisCO

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase, most commonly known by the shorter name RuBisCO, is an enzyme that is used in the Calvin cycle to catalyze the first major step of carbon fixation, a process by which the atoms of atmospheric carbon dioxide are made available to organisms in the...

) protein from spinach

Spinach

Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...

 leaves. Rubiscolins mimic the effects of opiates and therefore influence the brain. These peptides have much in common with the better known gluten exorphins. The rubiscolins' impact on mental health

Mental health

Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life...

 is not yet known.

There are 2 known rubiscolins with known structure:

Rubiscolin-5

• Structure: H-Gly
  Glycine
  Glycine is an organic compound with the formula NH₂CH₂COOH. With only a hydrogen atom as its side chain, glycine is the smallest of the 20 amino acids commonly found in proteins....
  
  -Tyr
  Tyrosine
  Tyrosine or 4-hydroxyphenylalanine, is one of the 20 amino acids that are used by cells to synthesize proteins. It is a non-essential amino acid with a polar side group...
  
  -Tyr-Pro
  Proline
  Proline is an α-amino acid, one of the twenty DNA-encoded amino acids. Its codons are CCU, CCC, CCA, and CCG. It is not an essential amino acid, which means that humans can synthesize it...
  
  -OH
• Chemical formula: C₃₀H₄₅N₅O₉
• Molecular weight: 619.70 g/mol

Rubiscolin-6

• Structure: H-Gly-Tyr-Tyr-Pro-Thr
  Threonine
  Threonine is an α-amino acid with the chemical formula HO₂CCHCHCH₃. Its codons are ACU, ACA, ACC, and ACG. This essential amino acid is classified as polar...
  
  -OH
• Chemical formula: C₃₉H₅₄N₆O₁₀
• Molecular weight: 766.87 g/mol