Exploring the Physicochemical Characteristics of Marine Protein Hydrolysates and the Impact of In Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion on Their Bioactivity

Fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs) were obtained from different fish sources using a combination of microbial enzymes. The industrially produced FPHs from blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus) were compared to freeze-dried FPHs generated in-house from hake (Merluccius merluccius) and mackerel (Scomber scombrus) in terms of their physicochemical composition and functionality. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in the protein, moisture, and ash contents of the FPHs, with the majority having high levels of protein (73.24-89.31%). Fractions that were more extensively hydrolysed exhibited a high solubility index (74.05-98.99%) at different pHs. Blue whiting protein hydrolysate-B (BWPH-B) had the highest foaming capacity at pH 4 (146.98 ± 4.28%) and foam stability over 5 min (90-100%) at pH 4, 6, and 8. The emulsifying capacity ranged from 61.11-108.90 m2/g, while emulsion stability was 37.82-76.99% at 0.5% (w/v) concentration. In terms of peptide bioactivity, sprat protein hydrolysate (SPH) had the strongest overall reducing power. The highest Cu2+ chelating activity was exhibited by hake protein hydrolysate (HPH) and mackerel protein hydrolysate (MPH), with IC50 values of 0.66 and 0.78 mg protein/mL, respectively, while blue whiting protein hydrolysate-A (BWPH-A) had the highest activity against Fe2+ (IC50 = 1.89 mg protein/mL). SPH scavenged DPPH and ABTS radicals best with IC50 values of 0.73 and 2.76 mg protein/mL, respectively. All FPHs displayed noteworthy scavenging activity against hydroxyl radicals, with IC50 values ranging from 0.48-3.46 mg protein/mL. SPH and MPH showed the highest scavenging potential against superoxide radicals with IC50 values of 1.75 and 2.53 mg protein/mL and against hydrogen peroxide with 2.22 and 3.66 mg protein/mL, respectively. While inhibition of α-glucosidase was not observed, the IC50 values against α-amylase ranged from 8.81-18.42 mg protein/mL, with SPH displaying the highest activity. The stability of FPHs following simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGID) showed an irregular trend. Overall, the findings suggest that marine-derived protein hydrolysates may serve as good sources of natural nutraceuticals with antioxidant and antidiabetic properties.

Identification and in vitro Characterization of Novel Antidiabetic Peptides Released Enzymatically from Peanut Protein

Bioactive peptides derived from proteins found in various foods provide significant health benefits, including regulating blood sugar levels by inhibiting carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes. Hydrolysates of peanut protein were prepared using alcalase (AH) or trypsin (TH) to generate antidiabetic peptides with high activity against α-amylase (IC50 of 6.46 and 5.71 mg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 of 6.30 and 5.57 mg/mL), as well as antiradical activity to scavenge DPPH• (IC50 of 4.18 and 3.12 mg/mL) and ABTS•+ (IC50 of 2.87 and 2.56 mg/mL), respectively. The bioactivities of hydrolysates were greatest in the ultrafiltration-generated F3 fraction (< 3 kDa). The most active fraction was TH-F3, which was purified by gel filtration chromatography to generate sub-fractions (SF). With IC50 values of 1.05 and 0.69 mg/mL, the F3-SF8 fraction was the most effective at inhibiting the activity of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, respectively. This fraction was further purified using RP-HPLC to generate sub-subfractions (SSF), the most active of which were F3-SF8-SSF9 and SSF10. The peptide sequences F3-SF8-SSF9 and SSF10 were determined using LC-MS/MS. Two novel antidiabetic peptides with the potential to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase were identified, with the sequences Asp-Trp-Arg (476.22 Da, IC50 of 0.78, and 0.35 mg/mL) and Phe-Tyr (329.15 Da, IC50 of 0.91, and 0.41 mg/mL). These results suggest that peptides derived from peanut protein are attractive natural ingredients for diabetes management applications.

Peptides with biological and technofunctional properties produced by bromelain hydrolysis of proteins from different sources: A review

Bromelains are cysteine peptidases with endopeptidase action (a subfamily of papains), obtained from different parts of vegetable belonging to the Bromeliaceae family. They have some intrinsic medical activity, but this review is focused on their application (individually or mixed with other proteases) to produce bioactive peptides. When compared to other proteases, perhaps due to the fact that they are commercialized as an extract containing several proteases, the hydrolysates produced by this enzyme tends to have higher bioactivities than other common proteases. The peptides and the intensity of their final properties depend on the substrate protein and reaction conditions, being the degree of hydrolysis a determining parameter (but not always positive or negative). The produced peptides may have diverse activities such as antioxidant, antitumoral, antihypertensive or antimicrobial ones, among others or they may be utilized to improve the organoleptic properties of foods and feeds. Evolution of the use of this enzyme in this application is proposed to be based on a more intense direct application of Bromeliaceae extract, without the cost associated to enzyme purification, and the use of immobilized biocatalysts of the enzyme by simplifying the enzyme recovery and reuse, and also making the sequential hydrolysis using diverse proteases possible.

Purification, Identification and Molecular Docking of Novel Antioxidant Peptides from Walnut (Juglans regia L.) Protein Hydrolysates

Walnut protein isolate (WPI) was hydrolyzed using Alcalase for 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 min to investigate the effect of different hydrolysis times on the structure and antioxidant properties of walnut proteins. The identified peptides HADMVFY, NHCQYYL, NLFHKRP and PSYQPTP were used to investigate the structure-activity relationship by using LC-MS/MS and molecular docking. The kinetic equations DH = 3.72ln [1 + (6.68 E₀/S₀ + 0.08) t] were developed and validated to explore the mechanism of WIP hydrolysis by Alcalase. Structural characteristics showed that the UV fluorescence intensity and endogenous fluorescence intensity of the hydrolysates were significantly higher than those of the control. FTIR results suggested that the secondary structure gradually shifted from an ordered to a disordered structure. Enzymatic hydrolysis containing much smaller molecule peptides than WPI was observed by molecular weight distribution. In vitro, an antioxidant test indicated that Alcalase protease hydrolysis at 120 min showed more potent antioxidant activity than hydrolysates at other hydrolysis times. In addition, four new antioxidant peptides were identified by LC-MS/MS. Molecular docking indicated that these peptides could interact with ABTS through interactions such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Thus, WPI hydrolysates could be used as potential antioxidants in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Response Surface Modeling and Optimization of Enzymolysis Parameters for the In Vitro Antidiabetic Activities of Peanut Protein Hydrolysates Prepared Using Two Proteases

Optimization of the enzymolysis process for preparing peanut protein hydrolysates using alcalase and trypsin was performed by employing the central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). The independent variables were solid-to-liquid ratio (S/L), enzyme-to-substrate ratio (E/S), pH, and reaction temperature, while the response variables were degree of hydrolysate (DH), α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The highest DH (22.84% and 14.63%), α-amylase inhibition (56.78% and 40.80%), and α-glucosidase inhibition (86.37% and 86.51%) were obtained under optimal conditions, which were S/L of 1:26.22 and 1:30 w/v, E/S of 6% and 5.67%, pH of 8.41 and 8.56, and temperature of 56.18 °C and 58.75 °C at 3 h using alcalase (AH) and trypsin (TH), respectively. Molecular weight distributions of peanut protein hydrolysates were characterized by SDS-PAGE, which were mostly ˂10 kDa for both hydrolysates. Lyophilized AH and TH had IC₅₀ values of 6.77 and 5.86 mg/mL for α-amylase inhibitory activity, and 6.28 and 5.64 mg/mL for α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The IC₅₀ of AH and TH against DPPH radical was achieved at 4.10 and 3.20 mg/mL and against ABTS radical at 2.71 and 2.32 mg/mL, respectively. The obtained hydrolysates with antidiabetic activity could be utilized as natural alternatives to synthetic antidiabetics, particularly in food and pharmaceutical products.