Chemical Characterization of a Collagen-Derived Protein Hydrolysate and Biostimulant Activity Assessment of Its Peptidic Components

Amino Acids Biostimulants and Protein Hydrolysates in Agricultural Sciences

The effects of different types of biostimulants on crops include improving the visual quality of the final products, stimulating the immune systems of plants, inducing the biosynthesis of plant defensive biomolecules, removing heavy metals from contaminated soil, improving crop performance, reducing leaching, improving root development and seed germination, inducing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, promoting crop establishment and increasing nutrient-use efficiency. Protein hydrolysates are mixtures of polypeptides and free amino acids resulting from enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis of agro-industrial protein by-products obtained from animal or plant origins, and they are able to alleviate environmental stress effects, improve growth, and promote crop productivity. Amino acids involve various advantages such as increased yield and yield components, increased nutrient assimilation and stress tolerance, and improved yield components and quality characteristics. They are generally achieved through chemical or enzymatic protein hydrolysis, with significant capabilities to influence the synthesis and activity of some enzymes, gene expression, and redox-homeostasis. Increased yield, yield components, and crop quality; improved and regulated oxidation-reduction process, photosynthesis, and physiological activities; decreased negative effects of toxic components; and improved anti-fungal activities of plants are just some of the more important benefits of the application of phenols and phenolic biostimulants. The aim of this manuscript is to survey the impacts of amino acids, different types of protein hydrolysates, phenols, and phenolic biostimulants on different plants by presenting case studies and successful paradigms in several horticultural and agricultural crops.

Proteomic Identification and Characterization of Collagen from Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) Hoof

With the development of camel-derived food and pharmaceutical cosmetics, camel hoof, as a unique by-product of the camel industry, has gradually attracted the attention of scientific researchers in the fields of nutrition, health care, and biomaterial development. In this study, the protein composition and collagen type of Bactrian camel hoof collagen extract (CHC) were analyzed by LC-MS/MS, and the functional properties of CHC were further investigated, including its rheological characteristics, emulsification and emulsion stability, and hygroscopicity and humectancy. Proteomic identification confirmed that CHC had 13 collagen subunits, dominated by type I collagen (α1, α2), with molecular weights mainly in the 100-200 KDa range and a pI of 7.48. An amino acid study of CHC revealed that it carried the standard amino acid profile of type I collagen and was abundant in Gly, Pro, Glu, Ala, and Arg. Additionally, studies using circular dichroism spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that CHC contains a collagen-like triple helix structure that is stable and intact. Different concentrations of CHC solutions showed shear-thinning flow behavior. Its tan δ did not differ much with increasing concentration. The CHC has good emulsifying ability and stability, humectancy, and hygroscopicity. This study provides a basis for utilizing and developing Bactrian camel hoof collagen as a functional ingredient.