Duodenumin

Duodenumin is a term sometimes encountered in speculative or fictional biomedical writings to designate a regulatory peptide purportedly produced by enteroendocrine cells in the duodenum. It is not listed in major biochemical databases, and there is no validated peer‑reviewed evidence for its existence. In fictional accounts, duodenumin is posited to act as a signaling molecule that coordinates duodenal sensing, digestion, and motility.

In these models, duodenumin is described as a small peptide, roughly 8–12 amino acids in length, derived from a larger precursor and secreted into the intestinal lumen or into the portal circulation. The receptor and signaling pathway are typically undefined, though some depictions assign it to a G protein–coupled receptor on enteric neurons or smooth muscle cells, influencing motor activity and secretory responses.

Proposed physiological roles include modulation of gastric emptying, stimulation of pancreatic bicarbonate release, regulation of intestinal pH, and fine‑tuning nutrient sensing in the duodenum. In fictional therapeutics, manipulating duodenumin signaling is imagined as a way to address dyspepsia, rapid gastric emptying, or malabsorption. There is no real‑world clinical use or evidence base for these concepts.

Interest in duodenumin is limited to speculative literature and educational simulations. No verified methods exist for detecting the peptide in humans, and no genome, transcript, or proteome entry confirms its existence. See also: secretin, cholecystokinin, gastrin, motilin.