A research team is designing an orally active analog of insulin for diabetic patients. To prevent the destruction of its primary structure by the enzymes present in the stomach and intestine, which specific type of chemical bond must primarily be protected from hydrolysis?

Step-by-step solution

Insulin is a proteinaceous hormone. The primary structure of proteins is formed by amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. When administered orally, the proteolytic enzymes (proteases) in the gastrointestinal tract hydrolyse these peptide bonds, breaking down the hormone into inactive amino acids and destroying its biological activity. Therefore, to make insulin orally active, its peptide bonds would need to be protected from enzymatic hydrolysis. Disulfide bonds link the two polypeptide chains (A and B) of i