Question

Mention any three drawbacks of insulin obtained from the pancreas of slaughtered cattle and pigs.

Hint:

Animal insulin = risk of allergy, infection, and costly. Recombinant human insulin = safe and identical to human.

Answer 1

Earlier, insulin for diabetic patients was extracted from the pancreas of cattle and pigs. However, it had several drawbacks: \begin{enumerate} \item Immunological reactions: Animal insulin differed slightly in amino acid sequence from human insulin, sometimes causing allergic reactions or immune responses in patients. \item Risk of infections: There was a possibility of transmitting animal-borne pathogens and contaminants through animal-derived insulin. \item Limited supply and cost: Large numbers of animals had to be slaughtered to obtain small amounts of insulin, making the process costly and unsustainable. \end{enumerate} Conclusion.
These drawbacks were overcome by developing recombinant human insulin using genetically engineered E. coli, which is safer, cheaper, and identical to natural human insulin.