Cellular antioxidant effect of bioactive peptides and molecular mechanisms underlying: beyond chemical properties

Abstract

Bioactive peptides are known for their chemical antioxidant activities. However, the importance of cellular antioxidant peptides has relatively been overlooked; nevertheless, scientific evidence supporting their potential to prevent chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress is progressively increasing. Cellular in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that antioxidant bioactive peptides possess cellular antioxidant activity, decrease oxidative stress biomarkers (e.g. lipid peroxidation, intracellular ROS levels, apoptosis), increase diverse antioxidant enzymes' activities and modulate levels of antioxidant molecules. These cellular in vitro bioactive properties and in vivo health effects suggest that antioxidant peptides could be used as components of functional foods and contribute to health promotion by improving specific physiological functions. This review highlights the scientific evidence about cellular antioxidant activity of bioactive peptides, their protective effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of action. It also describes the underlying antioxidant mechanisms and the structure-function relationship of antioxidant peptides.

Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model for food bioactives: A review

“…C. elegans were the first multicellular organism to have their genome completely sequenced. Through this process, it was found that they contain homologs for nearly 60–80% of human genes; this is extremely important for studying the effects of drugs and other compounds on human health ( Aguilar‐Toalá and Liceaga, 2021 ; Consortium, 1998 ; Kaletta and Hengartner, 2006 ). In this context, C. elegans have already proven to be valuable resources for studying diseases associated with aging or oxidative stress including Alzheimer's disease and diabetes ( Forsythe et al, 2006 ; Luo, 2006 ).…”

Transepithelial transport and cellular mechanisms of food-derived antioxidant peptides

“…The role of antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of diseases cannot be overemphasized. Notably, FDAPs have gained the attention of scientists as natural alternatives to synthetic antioxidants for health promotion [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. This review provides a comprehensive discussion on the intestinal transport and molecular mechanisms of FDAPs.…”

Microencapsulation of roselle anthocyanins with β‐cyclodextrin and proteins enhances the thermal stability of anthocyanins

“…It has been reported that either protein hydrolysates or individual peptides, exhibited cellular antioxidant activity. On the other hand, bioactive peptides were able to modulate oxidative stress biomarkers (i.e., lipid peroxidation, levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis) and the antioxidant response (i.e., production of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant molecules) in cell lines (Aguilar-Toalá & Liceaga, 2021). In addition, the combination of protein and polyphenols can also improve the antioxidant stability of polyphenols.…”