[1] Trypsin is an enzyme involved in the breakdown of many different proteins, primarily as part of digestion in humans and other animals such as monogastrics and young ruminants.
The presence of trypsin inhibitor has been found to result in delayed growth as well as metabolic and digestive diseases.
[7] Additionally, pancreatic hypertrophy is a common occurrence with trypsin inhibitor consumption[8] The presence of trypsin inhibitor in a product reduces the protein efficiency and therefore results in the consumers body not being able to efficiently and fully utilize the protein.
The function of this is to protect the animal from any accidental activation of trypsinogen and/or chymotrypsinogen[11] Trypsin inhibitor is heat labile, therefore by exposing these foods to heat, the trypsin inhibitor is removed and the food subsequently becomes safe to eat.
However, experiments have been done concerning animals who consume active trypsin inhibitor and they consistently have decreased weights.
It may be elevated in non-neoplastic processes such as pancreatitis and can be used as a prognostic marker in this setting (levels above 70 micrograms/L are associated with poor prognosis).
Sixty percent of gastric adenocarcinomas show elevated TATI, in particular tumors of diffusely infiltrative/signet ring type.