Anti-fatigue effects of fermented soybean protein peptides in mice

Quinoa protein and its hydrolysate improve the fatigue resistance of mice: a potential mechanism to relieve oxidative stress and inflammation and improve energy metabolism

Fatigue is commonly marked by reduced endurance and impaired function, often linked to overexertion and chronic conditions. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), with its rich amino acids and resilience to harsh conditions, offers a novel strategy for combating fatigue. This study explored the antifatigue effects of quinoa protein (QPro) and its hydrolysate (QPH) in weight-loaded swimming mice. After 4 weeks of oral administration, QPro and QPH significantly prolonged swimming duration, reduced serum fatigue biomarkers (lactic acid, urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase), and elevated glycogen reserves in the liver and muscle. RT-qPCR analysis indicated that QPH activated hepatic gluconeogenesis via G6Pase and PEPCK signaling and enhanced mitochondrial function through PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM signaling in muscle. Additionally, QPro and QPH boosted antioxidant defenses by improving antioxidant enzyme activity, reducing malondialdehyde through the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, and suppressing inflammation by reducing TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Network pharmacology identified 31 key targets involved in energy metabolism and inflammation, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the antifatigue properties of quinoa peptides. These findings highlight the potential of QPro and QPH as natural and bioactive ingredients in functional foods for enhancing endurance and mitigating fatigue.

Hybrid hydrolysates of soy protein and lactoferrin exerts synergistic antioxidant and anti-fatigue effect by modulating Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathways

Oxidative stress is an important cause of exercise fatigue formation. Nutritional intervention is an important way to modulate exercise fatigue. Lactoferrin (LF) and soybean protein (SP) are potential antioxidant bioactive components. Our findings demonstrate that SP-LF hybrid hydrolysates had effective 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity and iron ion reducing ability. The synergistic effect between these hybrid hydrolysates were found to be superior to the single hydrolysate in terms of antioxidant level by the joint index analysis. These hybrid hydrolysates are characterized by high levels of amino acids with potential anti-fatigue effect: tyrosine (Tyr), phenylalanine (Phe), hydrophobic amino acid (HAAs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). In murine models, hybrid hydrolysates significantly prolonged weight-bearing swimming time, increased muscle/liver glycogen levels, decreased lactate, urea nitrogen, and malondialdehyde levels, and increased glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase and ATPase activities. Pearson's correlation analysis established significant associations between antioxidant capacity and anti-fatigue efficacy. It alleviated fatigue through activating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, while increasing the expression levels of PGC-1α. These results collectively suggest that SP-LF hybrid hydrolysates demonstrate significant synergistic antioxidant and anti-fatigue activity and could be incorporated into functional foods as a dietary supplement to reduce fatigue.

Multi-omics analysis reveals the anti-fatigue mechanism of BCAA-enriched egg white peptides: the role of the gut-muscle axis

Bioactive peptides rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are an effective way to alleviate fatigue conditions, but the deep mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the anti-fatigue effect of branched-chain amino acid-enriched egg white peptides (BEWPs) through the gut-muscle axis by gut bacteria and untargeted metabolomic analyses. The results demonstrated that BEWPs enhanced exercise endurance and strength by also promoting gastrocnemius development in mice. Furthermore, there was a reduction in oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and the accumulation of unexpected metabolites generated under fatigue conditions. The intake of BEWPs increased the abundances of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, and unclassified_f_Lachnospiraceae, while decreasing the abundance of Bacteroides. BEWPs also regulated the levels of key metabolites in mouse muscles, including L-glutamic acid by arginine biosynthesis and bile secretion pathways. Notably, Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that there was a significant correlation between these altered metabolites, microbial populations, and indicators of fatigue. In summary, our research demonstrated that BEWPs alleviated fatigue through the gut-muscle axis, which provided new insights into fatigue management and prevention.

Plant protein-derived anti-breast cancer peptides: sources, therapeutic approaches, mechanisms, and nanoparticle design

Breast cancer causes the deaths of approximately 685,000 women annually, posing a severe threat to women's health. Consequently, there is an urgent need for low-cost, low-toxicity and effective therapeutic methods to prevent or mitigate breast cancer progression. PDBP are natural, non-toxic, and affordable substances and have demonstrated excellent anti-breast cancer activities in inhibiting proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoting apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, thus effectively preventing or inhibiting breast cancer. However, there are no comprehensive reviews summarizing the effects and mechanisms of PDBP on the treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, this review described the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of active peptides from different plant protein sources on breast cancer. Additionally, we summarized the advantages and preparation methods of plant protein-derived anticancer peptide-encapsulated nanoparticles and their effects in inhibiting breast cancer. This review provides a scientific basis for understanding the anti-breast cancer mechanisms of PDBP and offers guidance for the development of therapeutic adjuvants enriched with these peptides.

Anti-Fatigue Activity of Corn Protein Hydrolysate Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to clarify the effect of lactic acid bacteria-fermented corn protein hydrolysate (FCH) on fatigue in mice and explore the connection between fatigue-related indicators and intestinal microbial flora.

METHODS

The fatigue model of mice was constructed by exercise endurance experiment. The anti-fatigue level of FCH was evaluated by measuring physiological and biochemical indexes in mouse serum, liver and skeletal muscle. The relationship between FCH, intestinal flora and fatigue was explored through the analysis of intestinal microbial diversity in mice, and the anti-fatigue mechanism of FCH was further analyzed.

RESULTS

The results showed that the weight-bearing swimming time of mice was prolonged by 1.96 times, and the running time of mice was prolonged by 2.63 times in the high-dose FCH (FCH-H) group. Moreover, the lactic acid contents in the blood were reduced by 16.00%, and lactate dehydrogenase activity and urea nitrogen contents basically returned to the normal level. Meanwhile, the malondialdehyde contents were reduced by 31.24%, and superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione contents were increased by 1.84 times and 1.72 times, respectively. In addition, the glycogen contents of the body were restored, and the muscle glycogen and liver glycogen were increased by 1.81 and 5.81 times, respectively. Analysis of intestinal microbial flora diversity in mice showed that the highest relative abundance was Lactobacillus, and the FCH group could recover and even increase its relative abundance. Lactobacillus was significantly positively correlated with muscle glycogen and SOD.

CONCLUSIONS

FCH can alleviate fatigue by regulating fatigue-related indicators and improving the intestinal microbial flora of the organism.

Review: Application of Protein-Based Raw Materials in Health Foods in China

Raw protein materials are beneficial for human health, so they are being increasingly used in health foods. In recent years, there has been more and more research on and applications of raw protein materials, but few teams have conducted a detailed review of the application status of raw protein materials in China's health foods, the basis for their compliance and use, and the research on their health care functions. Therefore, this review evaluates the application of animal and plant proteins in China's health foods, the impact of animal and plant proteins on human health, and future research recommendations for animal and plant proteins. This review analyzes and discusses the data on approved health foods that have been verified to contain raw protein materials (mainly including the number of protein health foods approved over the years, the classification of raw protein materials and types of relevant regulations, the analysis of the frequency of use of raw protein materials, and the functions of approved health foods). Through this process, the application of raw protein materials in health foods in China is systematically reviewed. In short, through data analysis, this study found that in 1996~2024, a total of 1142 health foods containing raw protein materials were approved in China, which are mainly divided into animal proteins, vegetable proteins, microbial proteins, and peptide raw materials, and peptide raw materials comprise the majority. The compliance applications of these ingredients are mainly related to China's five categories of food regulations. The results show the following for health foods containing raw protein materials: in terms of the dosage form, they are mainly solid preparations; according to their functional claims, they mainly help to enhance immunity, help improve bone density, help improve skin moisture, and relieve physical fatigue; and in the application of raw materials, it is found that the use of raw materials such as casein phosphopeptide, soybean protein isolate, whey protein, collagen, spirulina, and other raw materials in products is relatively high. Finally, based on these studies, this paper discusses suggestions for raw protein materials in the future development of health food in China and also discusses the limitations of the current research in this review.

Systematical Investigation on Anti-Fatigue Function and Underlying Mechanism of High Fischer Ratio Oligopeptides from Antarctic Krill on Exercise-Induced Fatigue in Mice

High Fischer ratio oligopeptides (HFOs) have a variety of biological activities, but their mechanisms of action for anti-fatigue are less systematically studied at present. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the anti-fatigue efficacy of HFOs from Antarctic krill (HFOs-AK) and explore its mechanism of action through establishing the fatigue model of endurance swimming in mice. Therefore, according to the comparison with the endurance swimming model group, HFOs-AK were able to dose-dependently prolong the endurance swimming time, reduce the levels of the metabolites (lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen, and blood ammonia), increase the content of blood glucose, muscle glycogen, and liver glycogen, reduce lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase extravasation, and protect muscle tissue from damage in the endurance swimming mice. HFOs-AK were shown to enhance Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase activities and increase ATP content in muscle tissue. Meanwhile, HFOs-AK also showed significantly antioxidant ability by increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver and decreasing the level of malondialdehyde. Further studies showed that HFOs-AK could regulate the body's energy metabolism and thus exert its anti-fatigue effects by activating the AMPK signaling pathway and up-regulating the expression of p-AMPK and PGC-α proteins. Therefore, HFOs-AK can be used as an auxiliary functional dietary molecules to exert its good anti-fatigue activity and be applied to anti-fatigue functional foods.

The effect of vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) extract on fatigue alleviation via improving muscle mass

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Vine Tea (VT, Ampelopsis grossedentata), boasts a venerable tradition in China, with a recorded consumption history exceeding 1200 years. Predominantly utilized by ethnic groups in southwest China, this herbal tea is celebrated for its multifaceted therapeutic attributes. Traditionally, VT has been employed to alleviate heat and remove toxins, exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, soothe sore throats, lower blood pressure, and fortify bones and muscles. In the realm of functional foods derived from plant resources, VT has garnered attention for its potential in crafting anti-fatigue beverages or foods, attributed to its promising efficacy and minimal side effects. Currently, in accordance with the Food Safety Standards set forth by the Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission in China, VT serves as a raw material in various beverages.

AIM OF THE STUDY

VT has an anti-fatigue or similar effect in folk. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to VT's anti-fatigue effects remain elusive. This study endeavors to investigate the influence of Vine Tea Aqueous Extract (VTE) on fatigue mitigation and to elucidate its operative mechanisms, with the objective of developing VTE as a functional beverage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The preparation of VTE involved heat extraction and freeze-drying processes, followed by the identification of its metabolites using UPLC-QTOF-MS to ascertain the chemical composition of VTE. A fatigue model was established using a forced swimming test in mice. Potential molecular targets were identified through network pharmacology, transcriptome analysis, and molecular docking. Furthermore, RT-PCR and Western blot techniques were employed to assess mRNA and protein expressions related to the AMPK and FoxO pathways.

RESULTS

VTE significantly prolonged the duration of swimming time in an exhaustive swimming test in a dose-dependent manner, while simultaneously reducing the concentrations of blood lactic acid (LA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), serum urea nitrogen (SUN), and creatine kinase (CK). Notably, the performance of the high-dose VTE group surpassed that of the well-recognized ginsenoside. VTE demonstrated a regulatory effect akin to ginsenoside on the AMPK energy metabolism pathway and induced downregulation in the expression of Gadd45α, Cdkn1a, FOXO1, and Fbxo32 genes, suggesting an enhancement in skeletal muscle mass. These findings indicate that VTE can improve energy metabolism and muscle mass concurrently.

CONCLUSIONS

VTE exhibits significant anti-fatigue effects, and its mechanism is intricately linked to the modulation of the AMPK and FoxO pathways. Crucially, no caffeine or other addictive substances with known side effects were detected in VTE. Consequently, vine tea shows substantial promise as a natural resource for the development of anti-fatigue beverages within the food industry.

Signaling pathways regulated by natural active ingredients in the fight against exercise fatigue-a review

Exercise fatigue is a normal protective mechanism of the body. However, long-term fatigue hinders normal metabolism and exercise capacity. The generation and recovery from exercise fatigue involves alterations in multiple signaling pathways, mainly AMPK, PI3K/Akt, Nrf2/ARE, NF-κB, PINK1/Parkin, and BDNF/TrkB, as well as MAPK signaling pathways that mediate energy supply, reduction of metabolites, oxidative stress homeostasis, muscle fiber type switching, and central protective effects. In recent studies, a rich variety of natural active ingredients have been identified in traditional Chinese medicines and plant extracts with anti-fatigue effects, opening up the field of research in new anti-fatigue drugs. In this review we give an overview of the signaling pathways associated with the activity of natural food active ingredients against exercise fatigue. Such a comprehensive review is necessary to understand the potential of these materials as preventive measures and treatments of exercise fatigue. We expect the findings highlighted and discussed here will help guide the development of new health products and provide a theoretical and scientific basis for future research on exercise fatigue.

In vitro protein digestibility of different soy-based products: effects of microstructure, physico-chemical properties and protein aggregation

This study investigates the effects of protein structure and food microstructure on the in vitro protein gastrointestinal digestibility of different soy-based products, such as soy drink, reconstituted soy drink powder, firm tofu, and yuba. The results of the chemical cross-linking analysis showed that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main forces driving protein aggregation in (reconstituted) soy drink powder and firm tofu, whereas disulphide bonds were significantly more important for soy drink and yuba. The β-sheet content of soy drink (36.5%) was lower than that of yuba (43.3%), but significantly higher than those of soy drink powder (23.2%) and firm tofu (29.8%). The in vitro protein digestibility decreased in the order of firm tofu > reconstituted soy drink powder > yuba > soy drink. Principal component analysis showed that protein gastrointestinal digestibility was positively correlated with the surface SH content and soluble protein content released by SDS + urea (SB-SA) but negatively correlated with the disulphide bonds and β-sheet content for the four soybean products.

Panax ginseng improves physical recovery and energy utilization on chronic fatigue in rats through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway

CONTEXT

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Araliaceae) is a tonic herb used in ancient Asia.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the antifatigue effect of P. ginseng on chronic fatigue rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, model and EEP (ethanol extraction of P. ginseng roots) (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) groups (n = 8). The rats were subcutaneously handled with loaded swimming once daily for 26 days, except for the control group. The animals were intragastrically treated with EEP from the 15th day. On day 30, serum, liver and muscles were collected, and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway was evaluated.

RESULTS

The swimming times to exhaust of the rats with EEP were significantly longer than that without it. EEP spared the amount of muscle glycogen, hepatic glycogen and blood sugar under the chronic state. In addition, EEP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased serum triglycerides (1.24 ± 0.17, 1.29 ± 0.04 and 1.20 ± 0.21 vs. 1.58 ± 0.13 mmol/L) and total cholesterol (1.64 ± 0.36, 1.70 ± 0.15 and 1.41 ± 0.19 vs. 2.22 ± 0.19 mmol/L) compared to the model group. Regarding the regulation of energy, EEP had a positive impact on promoting ATPase activities and relative protein expression of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that EEP effectively relieved chronic fatigue, providing evidence that P. ginseng could be a potential dietary supplement to accelerate recovery from fatigue.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant and Enzyme-Inhibitory Activities, and Multivariate Analysis of Insect Gall Extracts of Picea koraiensis Nakai

Picea koraiensis Nakai (PK) is an evergreen tree. It plays an important role in landscaping and road greening. Insect galls of PK are formed by parasitism of the adelgid Adelges laricis. Except for phenolics, other chemical constituents and biological activity of insect gall from PK are still unknown. Thus, here, we performed phytochemical and biological activity analyses of PK insect gall extracts, aiming to turn waste into treasure and serve human health. PK insect gall extracts were prepared using seven solvents. Antioxidant activities of the extracts were examined via antioxidant assays (radical and oxidizing substance quenching, metal chelating, and reducing power). The inhibitory activities of the extracts were determined toward the key human-disease-related enzymes α-glucosidase, α-amylase, cholinesterase, tyrosinase, urease, and xanthine oxidase. The content of numerous active constituents was high in the methanol and ethanol extracts of PK insect gall, and these extracts had the highest antioxidant and enzyme-inhibitory activities. They also showed excellent stability and low toxicity. These extracts have potential for use as stabilizers of olive and sunflower seed oils.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Activities In Vitro and In Vivo, and Theoretical Calculation of Different Extracts of Euphorbia fischeriana

Euphorbia fischeriana has a long-standing history of use in traditional medicine for the treatment of tuberculosis diseases. However, the plant's therapeutic potential extends beyond this specific ailment. The present study aimed to investigate the antioxidant properties of Euphorbia fischeriana and lay the groundwork for further research on its potential therapeutic applications. Phytochemical tests were performed on the plant, and 11 types of phytochemicals were identified. Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry was used to evaluate the active components and antioxidant properties of eight different solvent extracts, ultimately selecting acetone extract for further research. UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS identified 43 compounds in the acetone extract, and chemical calculations were used to isolate those with high content and antioxidant activity. Three stability experiments confirmed the extract's stability, while cell viability and oral acute toxicity studies demonstrated its relatively low toxicity. In rats, the acetone extract showed significant protective effects against D-galactosamine-induced liver damage through histopathological examination and biochemical analysis. These results suggest that Euphorbia fischeriana's acetone extract has potential in treating diseases related to oxidative imbalances. Therefore, this study highlights the plant's potential therapeutic applications while providing insight into its antioxidant properties.

Food-derived bioactive peptides as momentous food components: Can functional peptides passed through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and NF-κB pathway to repair and protect the skeletal muscle injury?

Muscle injury is defined as an overuse injury or traumatic distraction of a muscle, which is latent in any sport event, from amateur to large events. Based on previous numbers of muscle injuries and time spent to the athletes' recovery, the use of dietary functional factors intervention strategies is essential to enhance the recovery process and health. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that biologically active peptides played an important role in sports nutrition and muscle injure recovery. Food-derived bioactive peptides were physiologically active peptides mostly derived from proteins following hydrolysis, which could be resorbed in intact form to reduce muscle damage following exercise and induce beneficial adaptions within the connective tissue. However, the complexity of the histoarchitectural considerations for skeletal muscle injuries and the repair mechanism of damaged skeletal muscle were not well known. In the following overview, the potential mechanisms and possible limitations regarding the damaged skeletal muscle metabolism were summarized, which aimed to present an overview of the nutritional strategies and recommendations after a muscular sports injury, emphasizing the use of main bioactive peptides. In addition, this review will provide implications for the studies of dietary bioactive peptides in the future.

Anti-fatigue properties of the ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaves in mice

BACKGROUND

Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) leaves are rich in nutrients and bioactive ingredients. This study was aimed at evaluating the anti-fatigue effect of the ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaves (MLEE) on mice and its primary mechanism of action using a weight-loaded forced swimming test. In the present study, MLEE was prepared by ultrasound-assisted extraction, and its anti-fatigue effect and antioxidant capacity were evaluated in mice. Mice were administrated MLEE (320 mg kg^-1 body weight) for 15 days.

RESULTS

MLEE supplementation significantly increased levels of glucose and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), while decreasing levels of lactate and blood urea nitrogen in serum (P < 0.05); the levels of glycogen in the liver and muscle were also increased, as was the activity of glycogen synthase and the level of NEFA in muscle (P < 0.05). According to a Western blot analysis, MLEE increased the expression of AMPKα1, JNK, AKT and STAT3 in the muscle of mice.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that MLEE has an anti-fatigue effect via the AMPK-linked route, which enables it to control energy metabolism and enhance antioxidant enzyme activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

An updated review of functional properties, debittering methods, and applications of soybean functional peptides

Soybean functional peptides (SFPs) are obtained via the hydrolysis of soybean protein into polypeptides, oligopeptides, and a small amount of amino acids. They have nutritional value and a variety of functional properties, including regulating blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, anti-diabetes, anti-oxidant, preventing COVID-19, etc. SFPs have potential application prospects in food processing, functional food development, clinical medicine, infant milk powder, special medical formulations, among others. However, bitter peptides containing relatively more hydrophobic amino acids can be formed during the production of SFPs, seriously restricting the application of SFPs. High-quality confirmatory human trials are needed to determine effective doses, potential risks, and mechanisms of action, especially as dietary supplements and special medical formulations. Therefore, the physiological activities and potential risks of soybean polypeptides are summarized, and the existing debitterness technologies and their applicability are reviewed. The technical challenges and research areas to be addressed in optimizing debittering process parameters and improving the applicability of SFPs are discussed, including integrating various technologies to obtain higher quality functional peptides, which will facilitate further exploration of physiological mechanism, metabolic pathway, tolerance, bioavailability, and potential hazards of SFPs. This review can help promote the value of SFPs and the development of the soybean industry.