The medical importance of hepcidin: Review

This review aims to study chemical, medicinal and functional properties of Hepcidin. Hepcidin (small bactericidal peptide) is considered a vital regulator of the iron entry in the blood of mammals. Hepcidin, a 25 amino acids long peptide hormone, has antimicrobial activity, especially in urine. Also, many remarkable results exhibited antibacterial, antifungal and anti-candidal activity against multidrug resistance pathogens, in vitro. The central of its formation is cells of the liver (hepatocytes). The expression of Hepcidin is low when iron stores of the human body are insufficient.