Andrias davidianus bone peptides (ADBP), known for their potent xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitory activity, show promise as adjunctive agents for the treatment of hyperuricemia (HUA). However, their quality control and antihyperuricemic efficacy across different farming regions have not been thoroughly investigated. This study undertook a comparative analysis of ADBP from nine representative farming locations, developed a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprint, and evaluated the antihyperuricemic activity of the most promising sample both in vitro and in vivo. The nine ADBP samples predominantly consisted of low-molecular-weight peptides with high protein content. However, their mineral and amino acid profiles exhibited significant variability, which served as key distinguishing markers. A reliable HPLC fingerprint was established to characterize ADBP from the different farming regions. Based on compositional analysis and XOD inhibitory activity, the ADBP obtained from the Hunan Zhangjiajie (HNZJJ) region was selected for further investigation. In vitro experiments utilizing an optimized adenosine-induced HUA model in LO₂ cells confirmed the uric acid-lowering effect of the selected ADBP. In vivo experiments using a mouse model demonstrated that ADBP significantly suppressed hepatic uric acid synthesis by inhibiting adenylate deaminase (ADA), XOD activity, and reducing serum uric acid levels. Additionally, ADBP alleviated HUA-induced liver damage by enhancing hepatic antioxidant defenses. Metabolomic analysis revealed that ADBP-induced alterations in liver metabolites may contribute to the alleviation of HUA. These metabolites were notably enriched in pathways related to linoleic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, caffeine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and purine metabolism. These findings underscore the potential of ADBP as a functional ingredient for food and biomedical applications aimed at the prevention and adjunctive treatment of HUA.

Objective: Protein extraction methods play a crucial role in the quality, functionality, and recovery efficiency of protein products, and directly affect their subsequent applications. Hemp seeds are rich in proteins and oils, however, the process of hemp seed protein extraction has rarely been studied. To bridge this knowledge gap, we aimed to explore the effects of the extraction conditions on the yield, physicochemical characteristics, functional properties, and biological activities of hemp seed proteins. Methods: Alkaline extraction (AE), AE combined with ultrasonication (AEU), salt extraction (SE), and SE combined with ultrasonication (SEU) were used to extract the hemp seed proteins. Results: The protein yields of SE and SEU were significantly higher than those of AE and AEU. All four types of protein extracts showed no obvious differences in protein purity, which was higher than 95%, however, significant differences were observed in protein physicochemical properties, functional properties, and biological activities among the proteins obtained by the four extraction methods. The hemp seed proteins extracted by the SE (designated as HPS) and SEU (designated as HPSU) methods possessed better nutritional quality, digestion properties, higher fat absorption capacity, and a lower water-holding capacity. Moreover, we found that the proteolytic products of HPS and HPSU exhibited superior biological activities, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging capacity and dipeptidyl-peptidase IV inhibitory activity, but similar anti-inflammatory activities. Conclusion: We concluded that SE was more suitable for the extraction of hemp seed protein because the SE method maintained the high nutritional value for the proteins. We believe that these findings contribute to a better understanding of the effects of extraction methods on protein quality.

Prunella vulgaris L. has been reported to exhibit certain remission potential for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, research that specifically focused on the P. vulgaris L. polysaccharides (PVP) is limited. The present study evaluated the anti-UC effects of PVP in mice with UC and investigated the underlying mechanism. The results indicated that PVP ameliorated the symptoms of UC by inhibiting colon shortening and weight loss, suppressing serum inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-β, and IL-6) levels, preventing the activation of the colonic NLRP3 inflammasome, and enhancing the expression of tight junction proteins to maintain gut barrier integrity. Additionally, PVP treatment significantly altered gut microbiota perturbation by decreasing the abundance of norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_UCG-014, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and unclassified_f_Prevotellaceae. In contrast, it increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Enterorhabdus, and norank_f_Oscillospiraceae. Metabolomic analysis revealed that 23 altered metabolites were selected as potential biomarkers of  mice with UC following PVP treatment. These metabolites significantly enriched the pathways of glycerophospholipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the alterations in gut microbiota at the genus level and the changes in metabolites. These results provide insights into the ameliorative effects of PVP on UC, suggesting its potential of PVP as a functional food or natural agent for UC management.

Off-odors in aquatic products represent a critical quality concern for the aquatic food industry, severely compromising sensory attributes, consumer preference, and food safety due to potential health hazards. These undesirable odors result from a combination of mechanisms, including biochemical reactions and industrial processing, which collectively determine the final product quality. This comprehensive review methodically investigates four critical dimensions: 1) development mechanisms of off-odors, 2) compounds contributing to off-odors, 3) generation of off-odors, and 4) advanced deodorization methodologies. Special emphasis is placed on elucidating molecular-level interactions between off-odor compounds and proteins, as well as the characteristic biosynthesis patterns of off-odors observed across different tissue types in various aquatic species. Through a comprehensive analysis of the sources of off-odors and mitigation technologies, this review proposes a technical framework for the targeted reduction of off-odors in aquatic products, offering valuable insights for quality optimization in industrial applications.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a vital risk factor for chronic kidney diseases (CKD) and development of functional foods capable of protecting CKD is of importance. This paper aimed to explore the amelioration effects and mechanism of Andrias davidianus bone peptides (ADBP) on HUA-induced kidney damage. In the present study, we generated the standard ADBP which contained high hydrophobic amino acid and low molecular peptide contents. In vitro results found that ADBP protected uric acid (UA)-induced HK-2 cells from damage by modulating urate transporters and antioxidant defense. In vivo results indicated that ADBP effectively ameliorated renal injury in HUA-induced CKD mice, evidenced by a remarkable decrease in serum UA, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, improving kidney UA excretion, antioxidant defense and histological kidney deterioration. Metabolomic analysis highlighted 14 metabolites that could be selected as potential biomarkers and attributed to the amelioration effects of ADBP on CKD mice kidney dysfunction. Intriguingly, ADBP restored the gut microbiome homeostasis in CKD mice, especially with respect to the elevated helpful microbial abundance, and the decreased harmful bacterial abundance. This study demonstrated that ADBP displayed great nephroprotective effects, and has great promise as a food or functional food ingredient for the prevention and treatment of HUA-induced CKD.

With changing dietary habits and increasing awareness of the nutraceutical role of dietary foods, the demand for natural plant proteins and interest in non-traditional protein sources in the food industry are increasing. Industrial hemp, belonging to the plant family Cannabaceae, is cultivated for its fibre and edible seeds. Due to its nutritional value, it has also been used in the food industry and medicine. In particular, hemp seed proteins have drawn considerable attention in both scientific and industrial fields because of their excellent nutraceutical values, superior digestibility, low allergenicity and diverse techno-functional properties. In this review, we provide a summary of the current research progress on the extraction and purification processes, physiochemical properties, nutraceutical functions, and applications of hemp seed proteins. Perspectives in the application of advanced technologies for hemp seed bioactive peptide mining are also discussed. This review provides up-to-date insights into the nutraceutical values, health benefits, and future applications of this emerging plant source protein.

With the rapid development of chemical engineering and biotechnology, polypeptide, as a promising candidate in the biomedical field, has been thoroughly investigated and extensively used as the drug delivery vehicle for diseases treatment, especially cancer, owing to the high biocompatibility, good biodegradability, versatile constructions, and diverse functions. Engineered polypeptide-based drug delivery system (so-called EPP-DDS) can deliver the cargos to the target site via a specific recognition effect, followed by overcoming the barriers like blood brain barrier (BBB) and releasing them by responding to the microenvironment cues, to improve the therapeutic efficacy and reduce the side-effect. Herein, it's of great importance to conclude and summarize the updates on EPP-DDS developed by chemical engineering methods. In this review, we first summarized the recent updates in the manufacturing of polypeptide and preparation of EPP-DDS based on green biochemical engineering and/or synthetic processes for cancer therapy, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), gene therapy, and combination therapy. Then, we surveyed the research progress of inflammation-mediated cancer treatment strategies based on EPP-DDS with high anti-inflammation activity. Finally, we concluded the discovery and green production process of engineered polypeptide, challenges, and perspectives of EPP-DDS. Overall, the EPP-DDS has great potential for cancer therapy in the clinic with improved therapeutic efficacy and reduced adverse effect, which needs the innovation of green biochemical engineering for customized design and production of polypeptides.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic systematic inflammation disorder with increasing incidence, unknown pathogenesis, limited drug treatment, and abundant medical expenses. Dietary intake, as a daily indispensable environment factor, is closely related to UC pathogenesis and prevention. The underlying interactions between dietary intake and UC progression are implicated with the modulation of gut microbiome as well as microbial metabolites, suggesting the complex and systematic characteristics of UC. However, the triangular relationships with dietary intake, gut microbiota homeostasis, and UC have not been well summarized so far. Here we review the recent studies of dietary intake on the regulation of gut microbiome homeostasis as well as modulation of UC progression. These findings suggest that varieties in dietary patterns result in the production of diverse microbial fermentation metabolites, which contribute to gut microbiome homeostasis through multiple manipulations including immune modulation, inflammation restriction as well as epithelial barrier maintenance, thus finally determine the fate of UC progression and give implications for functional food development for prevention and treatment of UC patients.

Andrias davidianus, i. e. Chinese giant salamander (CGS), is one of the largest and oldest amphibians existing in the world and is also one of the valuable biological resources of China. Wild CGS has been threatened with extinction in the past decades due to over capturing, deterioration of natural environment, the slow breeding and growth of the wild species in nature. However, in the past twenty years, with the breakthrough and progress of artificial breeding technology by artificial insemination, the number of artificially cultivated CGS has increased rapidly. Artificially cultivated CGS can either be released to the CGS living environment to increase the population in nature or legally applied in food and medicinal industry as a feedstock due to the unique nutritional and medicinal values of CGS as recorded historically. In this review, the nutritional components, bioactive components and medicinal activities of the artificially cultivated CGS will be summarized. The mucus, skin, meat and bone of CGS contain many different bioactive substances thereby having various medicinal activities including anti-aging, anti-fatigue, anti-tumor, therapy of burn and anti-infection and other physiological functions. This paper will further discuss the potential applications of the artificially cultivated CGS in healthcare industry and prospects of future technological development.