Effects of L-ascorbic acid (C6H8O6: Vit-C) on collagen amino acids: DFT study

Vitamin C plays a very important role in the repair of connective tissue, especially for sports whose training causes the most damage to this tissue. Therefore, many people believe that L-ascorbic acid (C6H8O6: vitamin C) reduces the recovery time between sports exercises. The most abundant form of structural protein in the body is collagen. Collagen is characterized by a high concentration of the three amino acids glycine (Gly), proline (Pro), and hydroxyproline (Hyp), which creates its characteristic triple helix structure. Therefore, in this study, the effect of vitamin C presence on the sequence, interaction, and orientation of amino acids for collagen formation is investigated using computational simulation. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of vitamin C in terms of thermodynamics and structure of the reaction. The calculations are performed using density function theory (DFT) by the base set of B3LYP/6-311++G (p,d). The results show that the presence of vitamin C is effective in the formation of collagen protein for this interaction and the mechanism of amino acid sequence (Gly-Hyp-Pro) is better in the formation of collagen protein in the presence of vitamin C. The presence of Vit-C in the formation and direction of hydroxyproline (Hyp) causes its separation from the prolyl 5-hydroxylase enzyme. In the absence of vitamin C, the reaction stops at this stage and proline cannot be converted into hydroxyproline. The computational data shows vitamin C prevents unwanted interactions and directs amino acid reactions to repair connective tissue (collagen). Therefore, vitamin C acts as a cofactor in the Prolyl 5-Hydroxylase enzyme and causes it to convert proline to hydroxyl.

Know your fish: A novel compound-specific isotope approach for tracing wild and farmed salmon

The rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry with carnivorous fish such as salmon has been accompanied by an equally rapid development in alternative feed ingredients. This has outpaced the ability of prevailing authentication method to trace the diet and origins of salmon products at the retail end. To close this gap, we developed a new profiling tool based on amino acid δ¹³C fingerprints. With this tool, we discriminated with high-accuracy among wild-caught, organically, and conventionally farmed salmon groups, as well as salmon fed alternative diets such as insects and macroalgae. Substitution of fishmeal with macroalgae was detected at 5% difference level. The δ¹³C fingerprints of essential amino acids appear particularly well suited for tracing protein sources, and the non-essentials for tracing lipid origins (terrestrial vs. aquatic). In an industry constantly developing new feed proteins and functional additives, our method is a promising tool for tracing salmon and other seafood products.