Antioxidant ferulic acid prevents the aggregation of bovine β-lactoglobulin in vitro

Dietary Polyphenols: Review on Chemistry/Sources, Bioavailability/Metabolism, Antioxidant Effects, and Their Role in Disease Management

Polyphenols, as secondary metabolites ubiquitous in plant sources, have emerged as pivotal bioactive compounds with far-reaching implications for human health. Plant polyphenols exhibit direct or indirect associations with biomolecules capable of modulating diverse physiological pathways. Due to their inherent abundance and structural diversity, polyphenols have garnered substantial attention from both the scientific and clinical communities. The review begins by providing an in-depth analysis of the chemical intricacies of polyphenols, shedding light on their structural diversity and the implications of such diversity on their biological activities. Subsequently, an exploration of the dietary origins of polyphenols elucidates the natural plant-based sources that contribute to their global availability. The discussion extends to the bioavailability and metabolism of polyphenols within the human body, unraveling the complex journey from ingestion to systemic effects. A central focus of the review is dedicated to unravelling the antioxidant effects of polyphenols, highlighting their role in combating oxidative stress and associated health conditions. The comprehensive analysis encompasses their impact on diverse health concerns such as hypertension, allergies, aging, and chronic diseases like heart stroke and diabetes. Insights into the global beneficial effects of polyphenols further underscore their potential as preventive and therapeutic agents. This review article critically examines the multifaceted aspects of dietary polyphenols, encompassing their chemistry, dietary origins, bioavailability/metabolism dynamics, and profound antioxidant effects. The synthesis of information presented herein aims to provide a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and health enthusiasts, fostering a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between polyphenols and human health.

Effect of ferulic acid covalent conjugation on the functional properties and antigenicity of β-lactoglobulin

Binding to phenolics can improve the functional properties of proteins. Changes in structure, functional properties, and antigenicity of β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) after covalent conjugation with ferulic acid (FA) at different mass ratios were reported here. The results of SDS-PAGE and gel exclusion chromatography confirmed that covalent complexes were formed. When the mass ratio of β-LG and FA was 10:6, the binding content of FA was the highest. Fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-visible absorption spectrometry, and FTIR analysis showed that the structure of the complexes was more stretched compared to native β-LG. The addition of FA significantly improved the emulsifying property of β-LG. When the mass ratio was 10:6, the radical scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS reached 65.06% and 88.22%, respectively, and the antigenicity of β-LG reduced by about 35%. This study provides novel β-LG-FA complexes in food systems to reduce the antigenicity of β-LG and improve functional properties.

Interaction of vitamin B12 with β-lactoglobulin: a computational study

The β-Lactoglobulin (βLG) is a major whey protein that has the potential to bind various ligands; hence it is used as a model protein in protein-ligand interaction studies. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient for the human body, which helps in the synthesis of DNA, proteins, and the production of red blood cells. Binding interaction of vitamin B12 with βLG will help to understand the potency of βLG as a transporter for vitamin B12. Our experimental findings already showed that βLG binds with vitamin B12 successfully (Swain et al., 2020). Nevertheless, to further support our experimental results firmly, here, we have employed computational tools such as molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The molecular docking technique was used to elucidate the probable binding sites and binding affinity of vitamin B12 on βLG. The docked complex of vitamin B12 with βLG was subjected to MD simulation to investigate its stability and other interaction properties over a time frame. The study revealed that the compound is stable, and vitamin B12 imposes no change to the secondary structure of the βLG. The computational results agree reasonably well with our experimental study.