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Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0

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A special issue of Marine Drugs (ISSN 1660-3397). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine-Derived Ingredients for Drugs, Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 16218

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Prof. Dr. Bin Wang

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Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Marine Biomedical Products, School of Food and Pharmacy, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
Interests: marine peptides; structure identification; structure–function relationship; antioxidant activity; cytoprotection; Nrf2 pathway; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory; hypolipidemic activities; hypotensive activity
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Prof. Dr. Chang-Feng Chi

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National and Provincial Joint Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Marine Aquatic Genetic Resources, National Engineering Research Center of Marine Facilities Aquaculture, School of Marine Science and Technology, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
Interests: marine peptides; structure identification; structure–function relationship; antioxidant activity; cytoprotection; Nrf2 pathway; non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory; hypolipidemic activities; hypotensive activity; neuropeptides; cephalopods; neuroendocrine immune regulation; reproductive regulation
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Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, peptides generated from various marine organisms have attracted wide attention due to their diverse chemical structures and bioactivities, including antioxidant, immune-modulating, angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, antiviral, cytotoxic, neurotoxic, anticoagulant, antifreeze, etc. Moreover, bioactive peptides can serve as additional functional components used in health foods, nutraceuticals, bio-preservatives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The Special Issue “Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0” aims to collect papers on up-to-date information regarding the preparation, structural identification, activity and functional evaluation, and application of marine bioactive peptides.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Bin Wang
Prof. Dr. Chang-Feng Chi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Marine Drugs is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

marine peptides
protein hydrolysate
biotechnological production
structure identification
structural modification
bioactivity and function
structure–function relationship
bioavailability
nutritional value
functional foods
application

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Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application in Marine Drugs (11 articles)

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation and Vasodilation Mechanism of Angiotensin-I-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptide from Ulva prolifera Protein

by Zhiyong Li, Hongyan He, Jiasi Liu, Huiyue Gu, Caiwei Fu, Aurang Zeb, Tuanjie Che and Songdong Shen

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(9), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22090398 - 31 Aug 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1073

Abstract

Ulva prolifera, a type of green algae that can be consumed, was utilized in the production of an angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide. The protein from the algae was isolated and subsequently hydrolyzed using a neutral protease. The resulting hydrolysate underwent several processes including Sephadex-G100 filtration chromatography, ultrafiltration, HPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis, ADMET screening, UV spectrum detection test, molecular docking, and molecular dynamic simulation. Then, the ACE inhibitory peptide named KAF (IC₅₀, 0.63 ± 0.26 µM) was identified. The effectiveness of this peptide in inhibiting ACE can be primarily attributed to two conventional hydrogen bonds. Additionally, it could activate endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity to promote the generation of nitric oxide (NO). Additionally, KAF primarily increased the intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) level by acting on L-type Ca²⁺ channel (LTCC) and the ryanodine receptor (RyR) in the endoplasmic reticulum, and completed the activation of eNOS under the mediation of protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. Our study has confirmed that KAF has the potential to be processed into pharmaceutical candidate functions on vasoconstriction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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16 pages, 3390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Silico Identification and Molecular Mechanism of Novel Tyrosinase Inhibitory Peptides Derived from Nacre of Pinctada martensii

by Fei Li, Haisheng Lin, Xiaoming Qin, Jialong Gao, Zhongqin Chen, Wenhong Cao, Huina Zheng and Shaohe Xie

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(8), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22080359 - 7 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1166

Abstract

Pearl and nacre powders have been valuable traditional Chinese medicines with whitening properties for thousands of years. We utilized a high-temperature and high-pressure method along with compound enzyme digestion to prepare the enzymatic hydrolysates of nacre powder of Pinctada martensii (NP-PMH). The peptides were identified using LC–MS/MS and screened through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The interactions between peptides and tyrosinase were elucidated through enzyme kinetics, circular dichroism spectropolarimetry, and isothermal titration calorimetry. Additionally, their inhibitory effects on B16F10 cells were explored. The results showed that a tyrosinase-inhibitory peptide (Ala-His-Tyr-Tyr-Asp, AHYYD) was identified, which inhibited tyrosinase with an IC₅₀ value of 2.012 ± 0.088 mM. The results of the in vitro interactions showed that AHYYD exhibited a mixed-type inhibition of tyrosinase and also led to a more compact enzyme structure. The binding reactions of AHYYD with tyrosinase were spontaneous, leading to the formation of a new set of binding sites on the tyrosinase. The B16F10 cell-whitening assay revealed that AHYYD could reduce the melanin content of the cells by directly inhibiting the activity of intracellular tyrosinase. Additionally, it indirectly affects melanin production by acting as an antioxidant. These results suggest that AHYYD could be widely used as a tyrosinase inhibitor in whitening foods and pharmaceuticals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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19 pages, 4488 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Systematical Investigation on Anti-Fatigue Function and Underlying Mechanism of High Fischer Ratio Oligopeptides from Antarctic Krill on Exercise-Induced Fatigue in Mice

by Sha-Yi Mao, Shi-Kun Suo, Yu-Mei Wang, Chang-Feng Chi and Bin Wang

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(7), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22070322 - 19 Jul 2024

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1113

Abstract

High Fischer ratio oligopeptides (HFOs) have a variety of biological activities, but their mechanisms of action for anti-fatigue are less systematically studied at present. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the anti-fatigue efficacy of HFOs from Antarctic krill (HFOs-AK) and explore its mechanism of action through establishing the fatigue model of endurance swimming in mice. Therefore, according to the comparison with the endurance swimming model group, HFOs-AK were able to dose-dependently prolong the endurance swimming time, reduce the levels of the metabolites (lactic acid, blood urea nitrogen, and blood ammonia), increase the content of blood glucose, muscle glycogen, and liver glycogen, reduce lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase extravasation, and protect muscle tissue from damage in the endurance swimming mice. HFOs-AK were shown to enhance Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase and Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase activities and increase ATP content in muscle tissue. Meanwhile, HFOs-AK also showed significantly antioxidant ability by increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver and decreasing the level of malondialdehyde. Further studies showed that HFOs-AK could regulate the body’s energy metabolism and thus exert its anti-fatigue effects by activating the AMPK signaling pathway and up-regulating the expression of p-AMPK and PGC-α proteins. Therefore, HFOs-AK can be used as an auxiliary functional dietary molecules to exert its good anti-fatigue activity and be applied to anti-fatigue functional foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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17 pages, 2097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of the Biological Activities of Peptides from Epidermal Mucus of Marine Fish Species from Chilean Aquaculture

by Claudio A. Álvarez, Teresa Toro-Araneda, Juan Pablo Cumillaf, Belinda Vega, María José Tapia, Tanya Roman, Constanza Cárdenas, Valentina Córdova-Alarcón, Carlos Jara-Gutiérrez, Paula A. Santana and Fanny Guzmán

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(6), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22060248 - 28 May 2024

Viewed by 1492

Abstract

The skin of fish is a physicochemical barrier that is characterized by being formed by cells that secrete molecules responsible for the first defense against pathogenic organisms. In this study, the biological activity of peptides from mucus of Seriola lalandi and Seriolella violacea were identified and characterized. To this purpose, peptide extraction was carried out from epidermal mucus samples of juveniles of both species, using chromatographic strategies for purification. Then, the peptide extracts were characterized to obtain the amino acid sequence by mass spectrometry. Using bioinformatics tools for predicting antimicrobial and antioxidant activity, 12 peptides were selected that were chemically produced by simultaneous synthesis using the Fmoc-Tbu strategy. The results revealed that the synthetic peptides presented a random coil or extended secondary structure. The analysis of antimicrobial activity allowed it to be discriminated that four peptides, named by their synthesis code 5065, 5069, 5070, and 5076, had the ability to inhibit the growth of Vibrio anguillarum and affected the copepodite stage of C. rogercresseyi. On the other hand, peptides 5066, 5067, 5070, and 5077 had the highest antioxidant capacity. Finally, peptides 5067, 5069, 5070, and 5076 were the most effective for inducing respiratory burst in fish leukocytes. The analysis of association between composition and biological function revealed that the antimicrobial activity depended on the presence of basic and aromatic amino acids, while the presence of cysteine residues increased the antioxidant activity of the peptides. Additionally, it was observed that those peptides that presented the highest antimicrobial capacity were those that also stimulated respiratory burst in leukocytes. This is the first work that demonstrates the presence of functional peptides in the epidermal mucus of Chilean marine fish, which provide different biological properties when the fish face opportunistic pathogens. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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24 pages, 1549 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis and Late-Stage Modification of (−)-Doliculide Derivatives Using Matteson’s Homologation Approach

by Markus Tost and Uli Kazmaier

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(4), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22040165 - 8 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1595

Abstract

(−)-Doliculide, a marine cyclodepsipeptide derived from the Japanese sea hare, Dolabella auricularia, exhibits potent cytotoxic properties, sparking interest in the field of synthetic chemistry. It is comprised of a peptide segment and a polyketide moiety, rendering it amenable to Matteson’s homologation methodology. This technique facilitates the diversification of the distinctive polyketide side chain, thereby permitting the introduction of functional groups in late stages for modifications of the derived compounds and studies on structure–activity relationships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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18 pages, 5066 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Glucoregulatory Properties of a Protein Hydrolysate from Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar): Preliminary Characterization and Evaluation of DPP-IV Inhibition and Direct Glucose Uptake In Vitro

by Christian Bjerknes, Sileshi Gizachew Wubshet, Sissel Beate Rønning, Nils Kristian Afseth, Crawford Currie, Bomi Framroze and Erland Hermansen

Mar. Drugs 2024, 22(4), 151; https://doi.org/10.3390/md22040151 - 28 Mar 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2068

Abstract

Metabolic disorders are increasingly prevalent conditions that manifest pathophysiologically along a continuum. Among reported metabolic risk factors, elevated fasting serum glucose (FSG) levels have shown the most substantial increase in risk exposure. Ultimately leading to insulin resistance (IR), this condition is associated with notable deteriorations in the prognostic outlook for major diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer risk, and mortality related to cardiovascular disease. Tackling metabolic dysfunction, with a focus on prevention, is a critically important aspect for human health. In this study, an investigation into the potential antidiabetic properties of a salmon protein hydrolysate (SPH) was conducted, focusing on its potential dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibition and direct glucose uptake in vitro. Characterization of the SPH utilized a bioassay-guided fractionation approach to identify potent glucoregulatory peptide fractions. Low-molecular-weight (MW) fractions prepared by membrane filtration (MWCO = 3 kDa) showed significant DPP-IV inhibition (IC₅₀ = 1.01 ± 0.12 mg/mL) and glucose uptake in vitro (p ≤ 0.0001 at 1 mg/mL). Further fractionation of the lowest MW fractions (<3 kDa) derived from the permeate resulted in three peptide subfractions. The subfraction with the lowest molecular weight demonstrated the most significant glucose uptake activity (p ≤ 0.0001), maintaining its potency even at a dilution of 1:500 (p ≤ 0.01). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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19 pages, 3955 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Ca-Chelating Peptides from Protein Hydrolysate of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba): Preparation, Characterization, and Calcium Absorption Efficiency in Caco-2 Cell Monolayer Model

by Ming-Xue Ge, Ru-Ping Chen, Lun Zhang, Yu-Mei Wang, Chang-Feng Chi and Bin Wang

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(11), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21110579 - 5 Nov 2023

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 2525

Abstract

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is the world’s largest resource of animal proteins and is thought to be a high-quality resource for future marine healthy foods and functional products. Therefore, Antarctic krill was degreased and separately hydrolyzed using flavourzyme, pepsin, papain, and alcalase. Protein hydrolysate (AKH) of Antarctic krill prepared by trypsin showed the highest Ca-chelating rate under the optimized chelating conditions: a pH of 8.0, reaction time of 50 min, temperature of 50 °C, and material/calcium ratio of 1:15. Subsequently, fourteen Ca-chelating peptides were isolated from APK by ultrafiltration and a series of chromatographic methods and identified as AK, EAR, AEA, VERG, VAS, GPK, SP, GPKG, APRGH, GVPG, LEPGP, LEKGA, FPPGR, and GEPG with molecular weights of 217.27, 374.40, 289.29, 459.50, 275.30, 300.36, 202.21, 357.41, 536.59, 328.37, 511.58, 516.60, 572.66, and 358.35 Da, respectively. Among fourteen Ca-chelating peptides, VERG presented the highest Ca-chelating ability. Ultraviolet spectrum (UV), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis indicated that the VERG-Ca chelate had a dense granular structure because the N-H, C=O and -COOH groups of VERG combined with Ca²⁺. Moreover, the VERG-Ca chelate is stable in gastrointestinal digestion and can significantly improve Ca transport in Caco-2 cell monolayer experiments, but phytate could significantly reduce the absorption of Ca derived from the VERG-Ca chelate. Therefore, Ca-chelating peptides from protein hydrolysate of Antarctic krill possess the potential to serve as a Ca supplement in developing healthy foods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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16 pages, 3783 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antidiabetic Effect of Collagen Peptides from Harpadon nehereus Bones in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mice by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Glucose Metabolism

by Qianxia Lin, Yueping Guo, Jie Li, Shuqi He, Yan Chen and Huoxi Jin

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(10), 518; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21100518 - 29 Sep 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2071

Abstract

Oxidative stress and abnormal glucose metabolism are the important physiological mechanisms in the occurrence and development of diabetes. Antioxidant peptides have been reported to attenuate diabetes complications by regulating levels of oxidative stress, but few studies have focused on peptides from marine bone collagen. In this study, we prepared the peptides with a molecular weight of less than 1 kD (HNCP) by enzymolysis and ultrafiltration derived from Harpadon nehereus bone collagen. Furthermore, the effects of HNCP on blood glucose, blood lipid, liver structure and function, oxidative stress, and glucose metabolism were studied using HE staining, kit detection, and Western blotting experiment in streptozocin-induced type 1 diabetes mice. After the 240 mg/kg HNCP treatment, the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mice decreased by 32.8%, 42.2%, and 43.2%, respectively, while the levels of serum insulin and hepatic glycogen increased by 142.0% and 96.4%, respectively. The antioxidant enzymes levels and liver function in the diabetic mice were markedly improved after HNCP intervention. In addition, the levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), glucokinase (GK), and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (p-GSK3β) in the liver were markedly up-regulated after HNCP treatment, but the glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase1 (PEPCK1) were down-regulated. In conclusion, HNCP could attenuate oxidative stress, reduce blood glucose, and improve glycolipid metabolism in streptozocin-induced type 1 diabetes mice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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15 pages, 2781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Structural Characteristics and Bioactivity Stability of Cucumaria frondosa Intestines and Ovum Hydrolysates Obtained by Different Proteases

by Qiuting Wang, Gongming Wang, Chuyi Liu, Zuli Sun, Ruimin Li, Jiarun Gao, Mingbo Li and Leilei Sun

Mar. Drugs 2023, 21(7), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/md21070395 - 6 Jul 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1595

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effects of alcalase, papain, flavourzyme, and neutrase on the structural characteristics and bioactivity stability of Cucumaria frondosa intestines and ovum hydrolysates (CFHs). The findings revealed that flavourzyme exhibited the highest hydrolysis rate (51.88% ± 1.87%). At pH 2.0, the solubility of hydrolysate was the lowest across all treatments, while the solubility at other pH levels was over 60%. The primary structures of hydrolysates of different proteases were similar, whereas the surface hydrophobicity of hydrolysates was influenced by the types of proteases used. The hydrolysates produced by different proteases were also analyzed for their absorption peaks and antioxidant activity. The hydrolysates of flavourzyme had β-fold absorption peaks (1637 cm⁻¹), while the neutrase and papain hydrolysates had N-H bending vibrations. The tertiary structure of CFHs was unfolded by different proteases, exposing the aromatic amino acids and red-shifting of the λ-peak of the hydrolysate. The alcalase hydrolysates showed better antioxidant activity in vitro and better surface hydrophobicity than the other hydrolysates. The flavourzyme hydrolysates displayed excellent antioxidant stability and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity during gastrointestinal digestion, indicating their potential use as antioxidants in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Marine Bioactive Peptides—Structure, Function, and Application 2.0)

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