A Nutrigenomics View of Protein Intake

Higher Content but No Specific Activity in Gelatinase B (MMP-9) Compared with Gelatinase A (MMP-2) in Human Renal Carcinoma

Gelatinases belong to a group of enzymes known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Gelatinases A and B (MMP-2 and MMP-9, respectively) are the enzymes with the highest ability to destroy collagen, primarily type IV collagen, which is an essential component of the base membrane. Hence, it can be assumed that they are involved, among other things, with the metastasis process of cancer. As a result, the objective of this study was to assess the presence, activity, and expression of selected gelatinases in human renal cancer. Healthy (n = 20) and clear-cell kidney cancer tissue samples (G2 n = 10, G3 n = 10) were analyzed. The presence and content of MMPs were measured using the Western blot and ELISA methods, respectively. The activity (actual and specific) was analyzed with a fluorimetric method. The presence of both investigated enzymes was demonstrated in the representative zymogram. MMP-9 showed the most intensive saturation. It has been observed that both gelatinases occur primarily in high molecular complexes in the human kidney, regardless of whether it is a control or tumor tissue. Both gelatinases were present in comparable amounts in healthy tissues of the kidney. MMP-9 showed a higher content than MMP-2 in both renal cancer grades, but we observed the enhanced activity of both gelatinases with an increase in the grade of renal cancer. A higher MMP-9 content and, on the other hand, lower specific activity in the cancer tissue suggest that MMP-9 is predominantly present in an inactive form in renal cancer. The higher activity of MMP-9 demonstrated using the zymography method may be a cause of different values of activity that depend on the phase of the carcinogenic process. The present study revealed changes in the tested gelatinases in healthy and cancerous tissues of renal cell carcinoma. Therefore, it can be concluded that matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 are enzymes directly involved in carcinogenesis, and hence, it seems that MMPs may have potential in the diagnosis and treatment of renal carcinoma.

Target protein degradation by protacs: A budding cancer treatment strategy

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death. So, its lethal effect increases with time. Near about hundreds of cancers are known in humans. Cancer treatment is done to cure or prolonged remission, and shrinkage of the tumor. Cytotoxic agents, biological agents/targeted drugs, hormonal drugs, surgery, radiotherapy/proton therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy are currently used in the treatment of cancer but their cost is high and cause various side effects. Seeing this, some new targeted strategies such as PROTACs are the need of the time. Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) has become one of the most discussed topics regarding cancer treatment. Few of the PROTAC molecules are in the trial phases. PROTACs have many advantages over other strategies such as modularity, compatibility, sub-stoichiometric activity, acting on undruggable targets, molecular design, and acts on intracellular targets, selectivity and specificity can be recruited for any cancer, versatility, and others. PROTACs are having some unclear questions on their pharmacokinetics, heavy-molecular weight, etc. PROTACs are anticipated to bring about a conversion in current healthcare and will emerge as booming treatments. In this review article we summarize PROTACs, their mechanism of action, uses, advantages, disadvantages, challenges, and future aspects for the successful development of potent PROTACs as a drug strategy.

Mass spectrometry as a lens into molecular human nutrition and health

Mass spectrometry (MS) has developed over the last decades into the most informative and versatile analytical technology in molecular and structural biology (). The platform enables discovery, identification, and characterisation of non-volatile biomolecules, such as proteins, peptides, DNA, RNA, nutrients, metabolites, and lipids at both speed and scale and can elucidate their interactions and effects. The versatility, robustness, and throughput have rendered MS a major research and development platform in molecular human health and biomedical science. More recently, MS has also been established as the central tool for 'Molecular Nutrition', enabling comprehensive and rapid identification and characterisation of macro- and micronutrients, bioactives, and other food compounds. 'Molecular Nutrition' thereby helps understand bioaccessibility, bioavailability, and bioefficacy of macro- and micronutrients and related health effects. Hence, MS provides a lens through which the fate of nutrients can be monitored along digestion via absorption to metabolism. This in turn provides the bioanalytical foundation for 'Personalised Nutrition' or 'Precision Nutrition' in which design and development of diets and nutritional products is tailored towards consumer and patient groups sharing similar genetic and environmental predisposition, health/disease conditions and lifestyles, and/or objectives of performance and wellbeing. The next level of integrated nutrition science is now being built as 'Systems Nutrition' where public and personal health data are correlated with life condition and lifestyle factors, to establish directional relationships between nutrition, lifestyle, environment, and health, eventually translating into science-based public and personal heath recommendations and actions. This account provides a condensed summary of the contributions of MS to a precise, quantitative, and comprehensive nutrition and health science and sketches an outlook on its future role in this fascinating and relevant field.

Amino Acid Catabolism: An Overlooked Area of Metabolism

Amino acids have been extensively studied in nutrition, mainly as key elements for maintaining optimal protein synthesis in the body as well as precursors of various nitrogen-containing compounds. However, it is now known that amino acid catabolism is an important element for the metabolic control of different biological processes, although it is still a developing field to have a deeper understanding of its biological implications. The mechanisms involved in the regulation of amino acid catabolism now include the contribution of the gut microbiota to amino acid oxidation and metabolite generation in the intestine, the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional control, and the participation of specific miRNAs involved in the regulation of amino acid degrading enzymes. In addition, molecules derived from amino acid catabolism play a role in metabolism as they are used in the epigenetic regulation of many genes. Thus, this review aims to examine the mechanisms of amino acid catabolism and to support the idea that this process is associated with the immune response, abnormalities during obesity, in particular insulin resistance, and the regulation of thermogenesis.

Bioactive compounds for human and planetary health

Bioactive compounds found in edible plants and foods are vital for human and planetary health, yet their significance remains underappreciated. These natural bioactives, as part of whole diets, ingredients, or supplements, can modulate multiple aspects of human health and wellness. Recent advancements in omic sciences and computational biology, combined with the development of Precision Nutrition, have contributed to the convergence of nutrition and medicine, as well as more efficient and affordable healthcare solutions that harness the power of food for prevention and therapy. Innovation in this field is crucial to feed a growing global population sustainably and healthily. This requires significant changes in our food system, spanning agriculture, production, distribution and consumption. As we are facing pressing planetary health challenges, investing in bioactive-based solutions is an opportunity to protect biodiversity and the health of our soils, waters, and the atmosphere, while also creating value for consumers, patients, communities, and stakeholders. Such research and innovation targets include alternative proteins, such as cellular agriculture and plant-derived protein; natural extracts that improve shelf-life as natural preservatives; upcycling of agricultural by-products to reduce food waste; and the development of natural alternatives to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Translational research and innovation in the field of natural bioactives are currently being developed at two levels, using a systems-oriented approach. First, at the biological level, the interplay between these compounds and the human host and microbiome is being elucidated through omics research, big data and artificial intelligence, to accelerate both discovery and validation. Second, at the ecosystem level, efforts are focused on producing diverse nutrient-rich, flavorful, and resilient, yet high-yield agricultural crops, and educating consumers to make informed choices that benefit both their health and the planet. Adopting a system-oriented perspective helps: unravel the intricate and dynamic relationships between bioactives, nutrition, and sustainability outcomes, harnessing the power of nature to promote human health and wellbeing; foster sustainable agriculture and protect the ecosystem. Interdisciplinary collaboration in this field is needed for a new era of research and development of practical food-based solutions for some of the most pressing challenges humanity and our planet are facing today.

Plasma Cholesterol- and Body Fat-Lowering Effects of Chicken Protein Hydrolysate and Oil in High-Fat Fed Male Wistar Rats

Rest raw materials provide a new source of bioactive dietary ingredients, and this study aimed to determine the health effects of diets with chicken protein hydrolysate (CPH) and chicken oil (CO) generated from deboned chicken meat. Male Wistar rats (n = 56) were divided into seven groups in three predefined sub-experiments to study the effects of protein source (casein, chicken fillet, pork fillet, and CPH), the dose-effect of CPH (50% and 100% CPH), and the effects of combining CPH and CO. Rats were fed high-fat diets for 12 weeks, and casein and chicken fillet were used as controls in all sub-experiments. While casein, chicken-, or pork fillet diets resulted in similar weight gain and plasma lipid levels, the CPH diet reduced plasma total cholesterol. This effect was dose dependent and accompanied with the reduced hepatic activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase. Further, rats fed combined CPH and CO showed lower weight gain, and higher hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, plasma L-carnitine, short-chain acylcarnitines, TMAO, and acetylcarnitine/palmitoylcarnitine. Thus, in male Wistar rats, CPH and CO lowered plasma cholesterol and increased hepatic fatty acid oxidation compared to whole protein diets, pointing to potential health-beneficial bioactive properties of these processed chicken rest raw materials.

Higher Content but Not Activity of Stromelysin-2 (MMP-10) in Comparison to Stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) in Human Renal Carcinoma

Stromelysin-1 and stromelysin-2 (matrix metalloproteinase 3; MMP-3 and matrix metalloproteinase 10; MMP-10, respectively) are enzymes that activate other metalloproteinases. Apart from collagen, they also degrade elastin, fibronectin, gelatin and laminin. In carcinogenic processes, they are involved in angiogenesis and metastasis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the DNA content, expression and activity of both stromelysines in cancers of human kidney. Renal carcinoma tissue samples were analyzed. Low- and high-grade cancer tissues were collected. Control material was collected from part of the kidney opposite to the tumor. DNA content, stromelysines content and stromelysin-1 and stromelysin-2 activity were measured using ELISA and Western blot methods. A higher content of deoxyribonucleic acid in low- and high-grade cancer tissues in comparison to the respective control tissue was observed. Both stromelysines were presented in control and cancer tissues in high-molecular-weight complexes. The content of MMP-10 was significantly higher in comparison to MMP-3 in all investigated tissues. Moreover, the content of stromelysin-2 was significantly higher in high-grade (G3) tissues compared to grade 2 (G2) kidney cancer. A significant decrease in the actual and specific activities of both stromelysines was observed with the increase in renal cancer grade. The presented results may indicate that the degradation of extracellular matrix increases with a higher grade of cancer. Moreover, the elevated content and decreased specific activity of stromelysin-2 in cancer tissue indicate that MMP-10 is mainly present in an inactive form in renal carcinoma. Detailed knowledge of the mechanism and participation of stromelysines in extracellular matrix degradation may be important in understanding the pathomechanism of renal cancer development. Therefore, the potential application of stromelysines in the monitoring or prognosis of kidney cancer should be discussed.

Biodegradable Solvents: A Promising Tool to Recover Proteins from Microalgae

The world will face a significant protein demand in the next few decades, and due to the environmental concerns linked to animal protein, new sustainable protein sources must be found. In this regard, microalgae stand as an outstanding high-quality protein source. However, different steps are needed to separate the proteins from the microalgae biomass and other biocompounds. The protein recovery from the disrupted biomass is usually the bottleneck of the process, and it typically employs organic solvents or harsh conditions, which are both detrimental to protein stability and planet health. Different techniques and methods are applied for protein recovery from various matrices, such as precipitation, filtration, chromatography, electrophoresis, and solvent extraction. Those methods will be reviewed in this work, discussing their advantages, drawbacks, and applicability to the microalgae biorefinery process. Special attention will be paid to solvent extraction performed with ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which stand as promising solvents to perform efficient protein separations with reduced environmental costs compared to classical alternatives. Finally, several solvent recovery options will be analyzed to reuse the solvent employed and isolate the proteins from the solvent phase.

Whey Proteins and Its Derivatives: Bioactivity, Functionality, and Current Applications

With the increased consumer demand for nutritional foods, it is important to develop value-added products, which will not only catch the attention of a wider consumer group but also provide greater benefits in terms of enhanced nutrition and functionality. Milk whey proteins are one of the most valued constituents due to their nutritional and techno-functional attributes. Whey proteins are rich in bioactive peptides, possessing bioactive properties such as being antioxidant and antihypertensive as well as having antimicrobial activities, which, when ingested, confers several health benefits. These peptides have the potential to be used as an active food ingredient in the production of functional foods. In addition to their bioactivities, whey proteins are known to possess enhanced functional attributes that allow them to be utilized in broad applications, such as an encapsulating agent or carrier materials to entrap bioactive compounds, emulsification, and in edible and active packaging. Hence, over the recent years, several whey protein-based ingredients have been developed and utilized in making formulations for a wide range of foods to harness their beneficial properties. This review highlights the bioactive properties, functional characteristics, associated processing limitations, and applications of different whey protein fractions and derivatives in the field of food formulations, encapsulation, and packaging.

The Role of Nutrition in the Prevention and Intervention of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a rapidly growing epidemic, which leads to increased mortality rates and health care costs. Nutrients (namely, carbohydrates, fat, protein, mineral substances, and vitamin), sensing, and management are central to metabolic homeostasis, therefore presenting a leading factor contributing to T2D. Understanding the comprehensive effects and the underlying mechanisms of nutrition in regulating glucose metabolism and the interactions of diet with genetics, epigenetics, and gut microbiota is helpful for developing new strategies to prevent and treat T2D. In this review, we discuss different mechanistic pathways contributing to T2D and then summarize the current researches concerning associations between different nutrients intake and glucose homeostasis. We also explore the possible relationship between nutrients and genetic background, epigenetics, and metagenomics in terms of the susceptibility and treatment of T2D. For the specificity of individual, precision nutrition depends on the person’s genotype, and microbiota is vital to the prevention and intervention of T2D.

Suppressed Expression but Not Activity of Collagenases MMP-1 and MMP-13 in Human Renal Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Collagenases are enzymes starting collagen degradation. The role of collagenases in renal carcinoma development is not well understood.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluation of collagen content and collagenase expression and activity in human kidney cancers.

METHODS

Collagen content was measured by the hydroxyproline assay. The expression and the content of collagenases were evaluated by Western blotting and ELISA. Fluorogenic substrate was used to measure enzyme activity.

RESULTS

Collagen content significantly decreases with the progression of kidney cancer. Both collagenases are first present in high molecular complexes in both control and cancer tissue. The healthy part of the kidney contains similar amounts of both collagenases. Collagenase content decreased significantly in tumor tissue with increasing cancer stage. MMP-13 activity is much higher than that of MMP-1 in all tissues investigated. We observed increasing collagenase activity (MMP-1 and MMP-13) with increasing renal cancer grade.

CONCLUSIONS

The lower content and higher activity of the collagenases investigated in cancer tissue indicate that most of these enzymes are in active form in renal carcinoma. The lower collagen content in cancer tissue can be explained at least in part by increased collagenase activity.

Nutritional Regulation of Gene Expression: Carbohydrate-, Fat- and Amino Acid-Dependent Modulation of Transcriptional Activity

The ability to detect changes in nutrient levels and generate an adequate response to these changes is essential for the proper functioning of living organisms. Adaptation to the high degree of variability in nutrient intake requires precise control of metabolic pathways. Mammals have developed different mechanisms to detect the abundance of nutrients such as sugars, lipids and amino acids and provide an integrated response. These mechanisms include the control of gene expression (from transcription to translation). This review reports the main molecular mechanisms that connect nutrients’ levels, gene expression and metabolism in health. The manuscript is focused on sugars’ signaling through the carbohydrate-responsive element binding protein (ChREBP), the role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the response to fat and GCN2/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and mTORC1 pathways that sense amino acid concentrations. Frequently, alterations in these pathways underlie the onset of several metabolic pathologies such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases or cancer. In this context, the complete understanding of these mechanisms may improve our knowledge of metabolic diseases and may offer new therapeutic approaches based on nutritional interventions and individual genetic makeup.

Ameliorative role of camel whey protein and rosuvastatin on induced dyslipidemia in mice

The incidence of obesity is rapidly increasing throughout the world. Dyslipidemia is a major risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This work presents a novel approach to study the activity of camel whey protein (WP) with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as a cheap dietary protein substance extracted from camel milk to produce satiety and help in building muscles. Mice model suffering from dyslipidemia as a result of feeding on high fat-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks were administrated with either camel WP and/or rosuvastatin for 4 weeks. Dyslipidemia revealed significant increase in anthropometrical measurements, levels of glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, total leucocyte count, inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, accompanied by a significant elevation in activating transcription factor-3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase expressions. These alterations were correlated with a profound reduction in high-density lipoprotein, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha and adiponectin along with a decrease in liver and muscle mitochondrial proteins. Rosuvastatin treatment to mice suffering from dyslipidemia in combination with camel WP for 4 weeks ameliorated these parameters. Notably, animals treated with both camel WP and rosuvastatin exhibited a remarkable decrease in the incidence of dyslipidemia. In addition, camel WP succeeded to overcome the therapeutic drawback posed from rosuvastatin therapy alone with minimal side effects.

Emerging trends in nutraceutical applications of whey protein and its derivatives

The looming food insecurity demands the utilization of nutrient-rich residues from food industries as value-added products. Whey, a dairy industry waste has been characterized to be excellent nourishment with an array of bioactive components. Whey protein comprises 20 % of total milk protein and it is rich in branched and essential amino acids, functional peptides, antioxidants and immunoglobulins. It confers benefits against a wide range of metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, cancer and phenylketonuria. The protein has been validated to boost recovery from resistance exercise-injuries, stimulate gut physiology and protect skin against detrimental radiations. Apart from health invigoration, whey protein has proved its suitability as fat replacer and emulsifier. Further, its edible and antimicrobial packaging potential renders its highly desirable in food as well as pharmaceutical sectors. Considering the enormous nutraceutical worth of whey protein, this review emphasizes on its established and emerging biological roles. Present and future scopes in food processing and dietary supplement formulation are discussed. Associated hurdles are identified and how technical advancement might augment its applications are explored. This review is expected to provide valuable insight on whey protein-fortified functional foods, associated technical hurdles and scopes of improvement.

Three differently generated salmon protein hydrolysates reveal opposite effects on hepatic lipid metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet

This study investigates the effects of salmon peptide fractions, generated using different enzymatic hydrolyzation methods, on hepatic lipid metabolism. Four groups of mice were fed a high-fat diet with 20% casein (control group) or 15% casein and 5% of peptide fractions (treatment groups E1, E2 and E4) for 6weeks. Weight gain was reduced in mice fed E1 and E4-diets compared to control, despite a similar feed intake. Reduced plasma and liver triacylglycerol levels in E1 and E4-mice were linked to reduced fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity and hepatic expression of lipogenic genes. By contrast, plasma and liver lipids increased in the E2 group, concomitant with increased hepatic FAS activity and Δ9 desaturase gene expression. Shotgun lipidomics showed that MUFAs were significantly reduced in the E1 and E4 groups, whereas PUFAs were increased, and the opposite was observed in the E2 group. In conclusion, bioactive peptides with distinctive properties could potentially be isolated from salmon hydrolysates.