Peptides derived from rice α-globulin reduce atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice by inhibiting TNF-α-induced vascular endothelial cells injury

Comprehensive review of plant-derived anti-hyperlipidemia peptides: Production, anti-hyperlipidemia mechanism, and structure-activity relationship study

Hyperlipidemia, an elevated level of cholesterol and/or triglycerides, has become a major public health problem worldwide. Although drugs intervention is effective in treating hyperlipidemia, most of them have adverse side effects. Peptides from natural plants with high anti-hyperlipidemic activity and a strong safety profile have emerged as promising candidates to prevent and ameliorate hyperlipidemia. This review summarizes the recent advances in plant-derived anti-hyperlipidemic peptides in terms of their sources, production, purification, identification, and activity evaluation. The focus is extended to their potential anti-hyperlipidemic mechanisms and structure-function relationships. Bioactive peptides derived from various plant sources, especially peptides containing hydrophobic and/or acidic amino acids, have shown remarkable effects in hyperlipidemic treatment. Their anti-hyperlipidemic effects are mediated by various mechanisms, including regulation of cholesterol metabolism and triglyceride metabolism, inhibition of inflammation-related metabolic syndrome, and modulation of the gut microbiota. Further evaluation of the stability, bioavailability, and clinical efficacy of these peptides is recommended.

Rice Protein Peptides Alleviate Alcoholic Liver Disease via the PPARγ Signaling Pathway: Through Liver Metabolomics and Gut Microbiota Analysis

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is the predominant type of liver disease worldwide, resulting in significant mortality and a high disease burden. ALD damages multiple organs, including the liver, gut, and brain, causing inflammation, oxidative stress, and fat deposition. In this study, we investigated the effects of rice protein peptides (RPP) on ALD in mice with a primary focus on the gut microbiota and liver metabolites. The results showed that administration of RPP significantly alleviated the symptoms of ALD in mice including adiposity, oxidative stress, and inflammation. The KEGG pathway shows that RPP downregulates the liver metabolite of capric acid and the metabolism of fatty acid biosynthesis compared with the MOD group. Mechanistically, RPP downregulated the PPARγ signaling pathway and suppressed the expression of fatty acid biosynthesis genes (FASN, ACC1, ACSL1, and ACSL3). Furthermore, two active peptides (YLPTKQ and PKLPR) with potential therapeutic functions for ALD were screened by Caco-2 cell modeling and molecular docking techniques. In addition, RPP treatment alleviates gut microbiota dysbiosis by reversing the F/B ratio, increasing the relative abundance of Alloprevotella and Alistipes, and upregulating the level of short-chain fatty acids. In conclusion, RPP alleviates ALD steatosis through the PPARγ signaling pathway by YLPTKQ and PKLPR and regulates gut microbiota.

Proteins from Legumes, Cereals, and Pseudo-Cereals: Composition, Modification, Bioactivities, and Applications

This review presents a comprehensive analysis of plant-based proteins from soybeans, pulses, cereals, and pseudo-cereals by examining their structural properties, modification techniques, bioactivities, and applicability in food systems. It addresses the critical need for a proper utilization strategy of proteins from various plant sources amidst the rising environmental footprint of animal protein production. The inherent composition diversity among plant proteins, their nutritional profiles, digestibility, environmental impacts, and consumer acceptance are compared. The innovative modification techniques to enhance the functional properties of plant proteins are also discussed. The review also investigates the bioactive properties of plant proteins, including their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumoral activities, and their role in developing meat analogs, dairy alternatives, baked goods, and 3D-printed foods. It underscores the consideration parameters of using plant proteins as sustainable, nutritious, and functional ingredients and advocates for research to overcome sensory and functional challenges for improved consumer acceptance and marketability.

Exogenous Bioactive Peptides Have a Potential Therapeutic Role in Delaying Aging in Rodent Models

In recent years, some exogenous bioactive peptides have been shown to have promising anti-aging effects. These exogenous peptides may have a mechanism similar to endogenous peptides, and some can even regulate the release of endogenous active peptides and play a synergistic role with endogenous active peptides. Most aging studies use rodents that are easy to maintain in the laboratory and have relatively homogenous genotypes. Moreover, many of the anti-aging studies using bioactive peptides in rodent models only focus on the activity of single endogenous or exogenous active peptides, while the regulatory effects of exogenous active peptides on endogenous active peptides remain largely under-investigated. Furthermore, the anti-aging activity studies only focus on the effects of these bioactive peptides in individual organs or systems. However, the pathological changes of one organ can usually lead to multi-organ complications. Some anti-aging bioactive peptides could be used for rescuing the multi-organ damage associated with aging. In this paper, we review recent reports on the anti-aging effects of bioactive peptides in rodents and summarize the mechanism of action for these peptides, as well as discuss the regulation of exogenous active peptides on endogenous active peptides.

Recent advances in nanomaterials for therapy and diagnosis for atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by lipid accumulation in arteries, leading to narrowing and thrombosis. It affects the heart, brain, and peripheral vessels and is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Researchers have strived to design nanomaterials of various functions, ranging from non-invasive imaging contrast agents, targeted therapeutic delivery systems to multifunctional nanoagents able to target, diagnose, and treat atherosclerosis. Therefore, this review aims to summarize recent progress (2017-now) in the development of nanomaterials and their applications to improve atherosclerosis diagnosis and therapy during the preclinical and clinical stages of the disease.

Prospects of cereal protein-derived bioactive peptides: Sources, bioactivities diversity, and production

Cereals account for a large proportion of the human diet and are an important source of protein. The preparation of cereal protein peptides is a good way to utilize these proteins. Cereal protein peptides have good application potential as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer compounds, in lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, and inhibiting thrombosis. This article reviews the literature on the functional properties, mechanisms of action, and applications of cereal protein peptides in the food industry with two perspectives, and summarizes the methods for their preparation and identification. The biologically active peptides derived from different grain proteins have varied main functional properties, which may be related to the differences in the amino acid composition and protein types of different grains. On this basis, the structure-activity relationship of cereal protein peptides was discussed. The advancement of identification technology makes the integration of bioinformatics and bioactive peptide research closer. Bioinformatics by combination of online database, computer simulation and experimental verification is helpful to in-deep study the structure-activity relationship of biologically active peptides, and improve efficiency in the process of obtaining target peptides with less cost. In addition, the application of cereal protein peptides in the food industry is also discussed.

The Protective Effects of Tripeptides VPP and IPP against Small Extracellular Vesicles from Angiotensin II-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Mediating Endothelial Dysfunction in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Endothelial dysfunction is a common disorder of vascular homeostasis in hypertension characterized by oxidative stress, malignant migration, inflammatory response, and active adhesion response of endothelial cells. The extracellular vesicles (EVs), a vital participant in vascular cell communication, have been considered responsible for vascular disease progression. However, the potential mechanism of antihypertensive peptides against the EVs-induced endothelial dysfunction is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether the antihypertensive peptides Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) ameliorate the effects of EVs from Ang II-induced vascular smooth muscles (VSMCs) on the endothelial dysfunction. The dihydroethidium staining, wound healing assay, 3D cell culture, and co-culture with U937 monocyte were used to investigate the oxidant/antioxidant balance, migration, tube formation, and cell adhesion in EV-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells. VPP and IPP treatment reduced the level of reactive oxygen species and EV-induced expression of adhesion molecules and restored the ability of tube formation by upregulating endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression. VPP and IPP reduced the protein levels of IL-6 to 227.34 ± 10.56 and 273.84 ± 22.28 pg/mL, of IL-1β protein to 131.56 ± 23.18 and 221.14 ± 13.8 pg/mL, and of MCP-1 to 301.48 ± 19.75 and 428.68 ± 9.59 pg/mL. These results suggested that the VPP and IPP are potential agents that can improve the endothelial dysfunction caused by EVs from Ang II-induced VSMCs.