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Why can't insulin be given orally to diabetic patients?
A
Human body will elicit strong immune response
B
It will be digested in Gastro-Intestinal (GI) tract
C
Because of structural variation
D
Its bioavailability will be increased
Explanation
Insulin is a polypeptide hormone that gets proteolytically degraded by gastrointestinal enzymes if ingested orally.
Detailed Solution
Insulin is a 51-amino-acid peptide hormone. When administered orally, gastric pepsin and pancreatic endopeptidases (trypsin, chymotrypsin) digest it into inactive amino acids before systemic absorption.