Oxidized casein impairs antioxidant defense system and induces hepatic and renal injury in mice

Extrusion of plant proteins: A review of lipid and protein oxidation and their impact on functional properties

Extrusion processing can improve the functional and nutritional value of plant proteins, making them a sustainable source for various applications. During both low- and high-moisture extrusion, raw materials are subjected to harsh process conditions, leading to lipid and protein oxidation. In general, oxidation products are associated with adverse effects on product properties and human health. The oxidation rates are influenced by a number of factors, including temperature, water, oil content, and protein source, with lipid-protein interactions playing a significant role in oxidation dynamics and measurement accuracy. Higher extrusion temperatures and water content promote oxidation, yet are also necessary for fiber formation. Mild protein oxidation can improve functional properties and digestibility, while extensive oxidation tends to reduce both. Therefore, adjusting extrusion parameters is critical for controlling oxidation. In addition, natural antioxidants may reduce oxidation during extrusion, but their impact on functional properties requires further investigation.

Role of peroxisomes in the pathogenesis and therapy of renal fibrosis

Renal fibrosis is a pathological consequence of end-stage chronic kidney disease, driven by factors such as oxidative stress, dysregulated fatty acid metabolism, extracellular matrix (ECM) imbalance, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Peroxisomes play a critical role in fatty acid β-oxidation and the scavenging of reactive oxygen species, interacting closely with mitochondrial functions. Nonetheless, current research often prioritizes the mitochondrial influence on renal fibrosis, often overlooking the contribution of peroxisomes. This comprehensive review systematically elucidates the fundamental biological functions of peroxisomes and delineates the molecular mechanisms underlying peroxisomal dysfunction in renal fibrosis pathogenesis. Here, we discuss the impact of peroxisome dysfunction and pexophagy on oxidative stress, ECM deposition, and renal fibrosis in various cell types including mesangial cells, endothelial cells, podocytes, epithelial cells, and macrophages. Furthermore, this review highlights the recent advancements in peroxisome-targeted therapeutic strategies to alleviate renal fibrosis.

Storage causes protein oxidation of soybean meal and affects antioxidant status, digestive performance and meat quality of broilers

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the protein oxidation of soybean meal (SBM) stored in a warehouse and the effects of SBM on growth performance, antioxidant status, digestive performance, intestinal morphology, and breast muscle quality of broilers.

METHODS

In total, 160 one-day-old Arbor Acres Plus broilers (half male and half female) were randomly divided into two groups with ten replicates of eight birds each: The control group was served with a basal diet including SBM stored at -20°C (FSBM), and the experimental group was served with a basal diet including SBM stored in a warehouse at room temperature for 45 days (RSBM).

RESULTS

Compared with FSBM, the protein carbonyl level in RSBM was increased, the free and total thiol levels and in vitro digestibility of protein were decreased. The RSBM decreased the serum glutathione (GSH) level and the hepatic total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity at days 21 and 42 when compared with FSBM. Further, RSBM reduced the duodenal T-SOD activity, jejunal catalase (CAT), and T-SOD activities at day 21, and decreased the duodenal CAT and T-SOD activities, jejunal T-SOD activity, and ileal GSH level and T-SOD activity at days 21 and 42 when compared with FSBM. Besides, the trypsin activity and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in small intestines of broilers at days 21 and 42 were reduced when fed with a RSBM-contained diet. Compared with FSBM, the 24-h drip loss, shear force, and 24- and 48-h cooking loss of breast muscle were increased of RSBM group, the opposite result was observed for muscle lightness at 48 h.

CONCLUSION

Room temperature storage for 45 days led a protein oxidation and decreased in vitro digestibility in SBM, and fed RSBM impaired growth performance, antioxidant status, and meat quality, reduced trypsin activity, and affected the small intestine morphology in broilers.

Effects of Dityrosine on Lactic Acid Metabolism in Mice Gastrocnemius Muscle During Endurance Exercise via the Oxidative Stress-Induced Mitochondria Damage

Dityrosine (Dityr) has been detected in commercial food as a product of protein oxidation and has been shown to pose a threat to human health. This study aims to investigate whether Dityr causes a decrease in lactic acid metabolism in the gastrocnemius muscle during endurance exercise. C57BL/6 mice were administered Dityr or saline by gavage for 13 weeks and underwent an endurance exercise test on a treadmill. Dityr caused a severe reduction in motion displacement and endurance time, along with a significant increase in lactic acid accumulation in the blood and gastrocnemius muscle in mice after exercise. Dityr induced significant mitochondrial defects in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice. Additionally, Dityr induced serious oxidative stress in the gastrocnemius muscle, accompanied by inflammation, which might be one of the causes of mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, significant apoptosis in the gastrocnemius muscle increased after exposure to Dityr. This study confirmed that Dityr induced oxidative stress in the gastrocnemius muscle, which further caused significant mitochondrial damage in the gastrocnemius muscle cell, resulting in decreased capacity of lactic acid metabolism and finally affected performance in endurance exercise. This may be one of the possible mechanisms by which highly oxidized foods cause a decreased muscle energy metabolism.

Dityrosine Aggravates Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Obese Mice by Altering Gut Microbiota and the LPS/TLR4/NF-κB Inflammatory Pathway

SCOPE

Dityrosine is the main product of protein oxidation, which has been proved to be a threat to human health. This study aims to investigate whether dityrosine exacerbates insulin resistance by inducing gut flora disturbance and associated inflammatory responses.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Mice fed with normal diet or high-fat diet (HFD) received daily gavage of dityrosine (320 µg kg-1 BW) or saline for consecutive 13 weeks. The effects of dityrosine on gut microbiota are verified by in vitro fermentation using fecal microbiota from db/m mice and db/db mice. As a result, dityrosine causes the insulin resistance in mice fed normal diet, and aggravates the effects of HFD on insulin sensitivity. Dityrosine increases the levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) but decreases levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the plasma of CON and HFD-fed mice. The changes of gut flora composition caused by dityrosine are significantly correlated with the changes of inflammatory biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

The effects of dityrosine on insulin resistance may be attributed to the reshaping of the gut microbiota composition and promoting the activity of the LPS/TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory pathway in HFD-induced obese individuals.

Potential implications of oxidative modification on dietary protein nutritional value: A review

During food processing and storage, proteins are sensitive to oxidative modification, changing the structural characteristics and functional properties. Recently, the impact of dietary protein oxidation on body health has drawn increasing attention. However, few reviews summarized and highlighted the impact of oxidative modification on the nutritional value of dietary proteins and related mechanisms. Therefore, this review seeks to give an updated discussion of the effects of oxidative modification on the structural characteristics and nutritional value of dietary proteins, and elucidate the interaction with gut microbiota, intestinal tissues, and organs. Additionally, the specific mechanisms related to pathological conditions are also characterized. Dietary protein oxidation during food processing and storage change protein structure, which further influences the in vitro digestion properties of proteins. In vivo research demonstrates that oxidized dietary proteins threaten body health via complicated pathways and affect the intestinal microenvironment via gut microbiota, metabolites, and intestinal morphology. This review highlights the influence of oxidative modification on the nutritional value of dietary proteins based on organs and the intestinal tract, and illustrates the necessity of appropriate experimental design for comprehensively exploring the health consequences of oxidized dietary proteins.

Dityrosine in food: A review of its occurrence, health effects, detection methods, and mitigation strategies

Protein and amino acid oxidation in food products produce many new compounds, of which the reactive and toxic compound dityrosine, derived from oxidized tyrosine, is the most widely studied. The high reactivity of dityrosine enables this compound to induce oxidative stress and disrupt thyroid hormone function, contributing to the pathological processes of several diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cognitive dysfunction, aging, and age-related diseases. From the perspective of food safety and human health, protein-oxidation products in food are the main concern of consumers, health management departments, and the food industry. This review highlights the latest research on the formation pathways, toxicity, detection methods, occurrence in food, and mitigation strategies for dityrosine. Furthermore, the control of dityrosine in family cooking and food-processing industry has been discussed. Food-derived dityrosine primarily originates from high-protein foods, such as meat and dairy products. Considering its toxicity, combining rapid high sensitivity dityrosine detection techniques with feasible control methods could be an effective strategy to ensure food safety and maintain human health. However, the current dityrosine detection and mitigation strategies exhibit some inherent characteristics and limitations. Therefore, developing technologies for rapid and effective dityrosine detection and control at the industrial level is necessary.

Dietary oxidized beef protein alters gut microbiota and induces colonic inflammatory damage in C57BL/6 mice

This study aimed to investigate the effect of oxidized beef protein on colon health. C57BL/6 mice were fed diets containing in vitro oxidized beef protein (carbonyl content 5.83/9.02 nmol/mg protein) or normal beef protein (control group, carbonyl content 2.27 nmol/mg protein) for 10 weeks. Histological observations showed that oxidized beef protein diet induced notable inflammatory cell infiltrations in colon. The analysis of high-throughput sequencing indicated oxidized beef protein largely altered the composition of gut microbiota (GM) by increasing proinflammatory bacteria (Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, Enterorhabdus) while reducing beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus, Akkermansia). In addition, oxidized beef protein remarkably increased protein fermentation in the colon, which was evidenced by the elevated i-butyrate, i-valerate, and ammonia levels in feces. Furthermore, consuming oxidized beef protein destroyed colon barrier functions by decreasing tight junction proteins expression. These changes in colonic ecosystem activated the proinflammatory pathway of lipopolysaccharide/toll-like receptor-4/nuclear factor kappa B (LPS/TLR-4/NF-κB), eventually leading to colonic inflammatory damage in mice. Taken together, these results imply that consuming oxidized beef protein detrimentally regulates GM and impairs colon health.

Effects of oxidized rice bran protein induced by rancidity on the hepatic function in mice

Rice bran protein (RBP) is a great resource of premium protein. However, rice bran (RB) rancidity, which inevitably occurs during rice milling, can induce RBP oxidation, further affecting the nutritional value of RBP. This study focused on the impact of RBP rancidity on the nutritional value of oxidized RBP. RBP with varying oxidation degrees and doses was given to mice via a 12-week intragastric administration. Oxidized RBP interfered with hepatic function and inflammation, and decreased the antioxidant capacities of the liver. Oxidized RBP also disturbed the hepatic lipid metabolism, and excessively oxidized RBP caused intrahepatic lipid accumulation and hepatic damage. Furthermore, oxidized RBP triggered the MyD88/NF-κB pathway but inhibited the Keap1-Nrf2/ARE pathway in the liver. Correlation analysis revealed that the protein expression of the Nrf2 pathway was negatively correlated with the NF-κB pathway. Results implied that oxidized RBP induced hepatic damage and hepatic dysfunction, indicating the deteriorating nutrition of oxidized RBP. The results exhibited the nutritional value of RBP after oxidative modification, and implied the importance of optimizing food-processing strategies to reduce the degree of protein oxidation, thereby avoiding the nutritional loss of dietary protein.

Improvements in chitosan-based slurry ice production and its application in precooling and storage of Pampus argenteus

The effects of microbubbles in chitosan-based slurry ice production were investigated, and the efficiency of chitosan-based slurry ice was evaluated for silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) precooling and storage at 0 °C. Microbubbles generated though agitation accelerated slurry ice production by promoting ice nucleation and eliminating supercooling. Higher bubble counts improved freezing, but overly large bubbles reduced the performance. The rheological properties of chitosan solutions were also investigaed, and solutions with higher viscosity formed more bubbles. Experiments investigating precooling rates, microbial concentrations, pH, thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances, and total volatile basic nitrogen all confirmed that chitosan-based slurry ice had higher performance than flake ice or conventional slurry ice. Chitosan-based slurry ice can be used for precooling in the fish industry to reduce energy consumption, accelerate precooling, reduce microbial growth, and improve shelf life.

Health Effects of Dietary Oxidized Milk Administration in Offspring Mice during Pregnancy and Lactation with Metabolomic Strategies

Milk is an important source of nutrients during pregnancy. Previous studies have consistently shown that oxidation in milk and dairy products can induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis in the liver and kidney. However, the mechanism underlying these effects remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of oxidized milk on fecal metabolism and liver and kidney function of offspring mice. Oxidative modification of milk was performed using H₂O₂-Cu or heating, causing varying degrees of oxidative damage. Kunming female mice were fed with a H₂O₂-Cu, heat, or normal control diet until their offspring were 3 weeks old. Feces were collected for the metabolomics study based on mass spectrometry. Forty-two potentially significant metabolic biomarkers were screened, and each group's relative intensity was compared. The results showed that oxidized milk mainly regulated isoleucine metabolism, proline metabolism, and tricarboxylic acid cycle. In addition, the histopathological analysis showed accumulation of protein and lipid oxidation products in the liver and kidney tissues after intake of oxidized milk, which induced oxidative stress, increased the levels of inflammatory factors, and significantly increased the expression of genes and proteins involved in inflammatory pathways. The above results suggest that intake of oxidized milk during gestation may increase the risk of liver and kidney injury in male offspring by interfering with amino acid and energy metabolism, highlighting the potential health risks of oxidized milk in humans.

Lycopene Regulates Dietary Dityrosine-Induced Mitochondrial-Lipid Homeostasis by Increasing Mitochondrial Complex Activity

SCOPE

Dityrosine (DT), a marker of protein oxidation, is widely found in many high-protein foods. Dietary intake of DT induces myocardial oxidative stress injury and impairs energy metabolism. Lycopene is a common dietary supplement with antioxidant and mitochondrial-lipid homeostasis modulating abilities. This study aimed to examine the effects of lycopene on DT-induced disturbances in myocardial function and energy metabolism.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four-week-old C57BL/6J mice received intragastric administration of either tyrosine (420 µg kg^-1 BW), DT (420 µg kg^-1 BW), or lycopene at high (10 mg kg^-1 BW) and low (5 mg kg^-1 BW) doses for 35 days. Lycopene administration effectively reduced oxidative stress, cardiac fatty acid accumulation, and cardiac hypertrophy and improved mitochondrial performance in DT-induced mice. In vitro experiments in H9c2 cells showed that DT directly inhibited the activity of the respiratory chain complex, whereas oxidative phosphorylation and β-oxidation gene expression is upregulated. Lycopene enhanced the activity of the complexes and inhibited ROS production caused by compensatory regulation.

CONCLUSION

Lycopene improves DT-mediated myocardial energy homeostasis disorder by promoting the activity of respiratory chain complexes I and IV and alleviates the accumulation of cardiac fatty acids and myocardial hypertrophy.

Protein carbonylation in food and nutrition: a concise update

Protein oxidation is a topic of indisputable scientific interest given the impact of oxidized proteins on food quality and safety. Carbonylation is regarded as one of the most notable post-translational modifications in proteins and yet, this reaction and its consequences are poorly understood. From a mechanistic perspective, primary protein carbonyls (i.e. α-aminoadipic and γ-glutamic semialdehydes) have been linked to radical-mediated oxidative stress, but recent studies emphasize the role alternative carbonylation pathways linked to the Maillard reaction. Secondary protein carbonyls are introduced in proteins via covalent linkage of lipid carbonyls (i.e. protein-bound malondialdehyde). The high reactivity of protein carbonyls in foods and other biological systems indicates the intricate chemistry of these species and urges further research to provide insight into these molecular mechanisms and pathways. In particular, protein carbonyls are involved in the formation of aberrant and dysfunctional protein aggregates, undergo further oxidation to yield carboxylic acids of biological relevance and establish interactions with other biomolecules such as oxidizing lipids and phytochemicals. From a methodological perspective, the routine dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) method is criticized not only for the lack of accuracy and consistency but also authors typically perform a poor interpretation of DNPH results, which leads to misleading conclusions. From a practical perspective, the biological relevance of protein carbonyls in the field of food science and nutrition is still a topic of debate. Though the implication of carbonylation on impaired protein functionality and poor protein digestibility is generally recognized, the underlying mechanism of such connections requires further clarification. From a medical perspective, protein carbonyls are highlighted as markers of protein oxidation, oxidative stress and disease. Yet, the specific role of specific protein carbonyls in the onset of particular biological impairments needs further investigations. Recent studies indicates that regardless of the origin (in vivo or dietary) protein carbonyls may act as signalling molecules which activate not only the endogenous antioxidant defences but also implicate the immune system. The present paper concisely reviews the most recent advances in this topic to identify, when applicable, potential fields of interest for future studies.

Oxidized Milk Induces Spatial Learning and Memory Impairment by Altering Gut Microbiota in Offspring Mice during Pregnancy and Lactation

Early adverse diet exposures are known to be associated with increased risk of learning and memory injury in offspring, yet whether oxidized milk is involved in such an effect has been largely unknown. Here, we focused on oxidized milk intake in mice during pregnancy and lactation to measure the changes in the learning and memory ability in offspring and also probed into the relevant association with gut microbiota. Milk was oxidized with H₂O₂-Cu or HClO, resulting in different degrees of oxidative damage. KM female mice were fed H₂O₂-Cu, HClO, or normal control diets immediately after caging until their offspring were 3-weeks old. Behavioral tests were then performed to test the learning and memory ability, and 16S rRNA sequencing was completed with harvested fecal contents. As analyzed, fecal microflora in mice with oxidized milk was affected, mainly reflected in decreased mucin-degrading bacteria, Akkermansia and Lactobacillus, and in reversely increased pro-inflammatory bacteria Shigella, pathobiont Mucispirillum, nervous associated bacteria Ruminococcus, Escherichia, and Desulfovibrio. In the meantime, the inflammation developed in mice was aggravated accompanied by increased expression of relevant genes, while the genes and proteins associated with the learning and memory ability were down-regulated. Further behavioral tests proved impairment of the learning and memory ability in offspring. In general, milk of oxidative damage is a risk factor of the impaired transgenerational ability in learning and memory, which is associated with gut microbiota and intestinal mucosa conditions. This finding may help support the potential of early adverse diet as a harmful factor in learning and memory.

Protective effects of dietary carnosine during in-vitro digestion of pork differing in fat content and cooking conditions

Muscle carnosine represents an important health advantage of meat. Ground pork samples with intrinsic or added carnosine; fat content; and cooked under low or high intensity as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial were digested in-vitro. Changes in free carnosine and in markers of lipid (hexanal, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein (protein-carbonyls, thiols) oxidation, and of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) N^ε -(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) were determined in the saliva, gastric, and duodenal digests. During digestion, the different markers overall indicated increased oxidation and decreased free carnosine. Increasing pork carnosine level significantly reduced protein carbonyls, loss of thiols, and 4-HNE during in-vitro gastric digestion, irrespective of fat and cooking level of the meat. Increased carnosine also significantly reduced hexanal, MDA and CML up to the duodenum phase in moderately cooked lean pork. Besides substantiating the formation of AGEs during digestion, these results show a potentially important role of dietary carnosine occurring in the gastrointestinal tract. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The ailments epidemiologically associated with red meat consumption could be counteracted by ingesting carnosine into meat. The health advantages of dietary carnosine, however, have never been demonstrated during digestion, a unique and complex oxidative environment compounded by the composition and cooking of the meat. The results obtained substantiated that AGEs formation occurred in-vitro in the GIT. They also showed that increased carnosine had an immediate health beneficial role during pork digestion in reducing the formation of different harmful molecules, including AGEs, modulated by the composition and cooking of the meat. However, in exerting this protective role in the GIT, the remaining free level of carnosine, gradually decreased during digestion. Carnosine, as an important meat compositional factor may, depending on the fat content and cooking conditions, change the image of meat from representing a health risk to a health benefit. Carnosine level may also explain discrepancies observed in the literature.

Adverse Effects of Thermal Food Processing on the Structural, Nutritional, and Biological Properties of Proteins

Thermal processing is one of the most important processing methods in the food industry. However, many studies have revealed that thermal processing can have detrimental effects on the nutritional and functional properties of foods because of the complex interactions among food components. Proteins are essential nutrients for humans, and changes in the structure and nutritional properties of proteins can substantially impact the biological effects of foods. This review focuses on the interactions among proteins, sugars, and lipids during thermal food processing and the effects of these interactions on the structure, nutritional value, and biological effects of proteins. In particular, the negative effects of modified proteins on human health and strategies for mitigating these detrimental effects from two perspectives, namely, reducing the formation of modified proteins during thermal processing and dietary intervention in vivo, are discussed.

Dietary Dityrosine Induces Mitochondrial Dysfunction by Diminished Thyroid Hormone Function in Mouse Myocardia

Oxidized tyrosine products (OTP) have been detected in commercial foods with high protein content, such as meat and milk products. OTP intake induces tissue oxidative stress and affects the normal activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT). This study aims to investigate the effects of OTP and their main product, dityrosine (Dityr), on mouse myocardial function and myocardial energy metabolism. Mice received daily intragastric administration of either tyrosine (Tyr; 420 μg/kg body weight), Dityr (420 μg/kg body weight), or OTP (1909 μg/kg body weight) for 35 days. Additionally, H9c2 cells were incubated with various concentrations of Dityr for 72 h. We found that OTP and pure Dityr induced oxidative stress in growing mice and in H9c2 cells, resulting in a redox state imbalance, myocardial injury, mitochondrial dysfunction, and energy metabolism disorder. Dityr interferes with T3 regulation of the myocardium via the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β pathway, leading to myocardial mitochondrial damage and energy metabolism disorders. Food-borne OTP, especially Dityr, can disrupt thyroid hormone function in mouse myocardia leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, energy metabolism disorder, and oxidative stress.

Dityrosine suppresses the cytoprotective action of thyroid hormone T3 via inhibiting thyroid hormone receptor-mediated transcriptional activation

Dityrosine (Dityr) is the most common oxidized form of tyrosine. In the previous studies of mice treated with dityrosine, cell death in the pancreas, kidneys, and liver was detected in the presence of enhanced plasma triiodothyronine (T3) content. Due to its structural similarity with the thyroid hormone T3, we hypothesized that dityrosine might disrupt T3-dependent endocrine signaling. The cytotoxic effect of dityrosine was studied in C57BL/6 mice by gavage with a dityrosine dose of 320 μg per kg per day for 10 weeks. Cell death in the liver was detected in the presence of enhanced plasma thyroid hormone content in mice treated with dityrosine. The antagonistic effect of dityrosine on T3 biofunction was studied using HepG2 cells. Dityrosine incubation reduced T3 transport ability and attenuated the T3-mediated cell survival via regulation of the PI3k/Akt/MAPK pathway. Furthermore, dityrosine inhibited T3 binding to thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and suppressed the TR-mediated transcription. Dityrosine also downregulated the expressions of T3 action-related factors. Taken together, this study demonstrates that dityrosine inhibits T3-dependent cytoprotection by competitive inhibition, resulting in downstream gene suppression. Our findings offer insights into how dityrosine acts as an antagonist of T3. These findings shed new light on cellular processes underlying the energy metabolism disorder caused by dietary oxidized protein, thus contributing to a better understanding of the diet-health axis at a cellular level.

Oxidized Pork Induces Oxidative Stress and Inflammation by Altering Gut Microbiota in Mice

SCOPE

Reduced digestibility of foods containing oxidized proteins and the subsequent excessive accumulation of undigested components in the colon may cause changes in the intestinal flora composition. This study evaluates the characteristics of this change and the potential adverse effects on organisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Pork is cooked using sous-vide or at high temperature and pressure (HTP), then freeze-dried, resulting in different levels of oxidized damage. Mice are fed diets containing low- (LOP), medium- (MOP), or high-oxidative damage pork (HOP) for 12 weeks. HOP intake increases mice body weight, induces inflammatory response, and causes oxidative stress, as indicated by the accumulation of oxidative products. Increased serum LPS levels and downregulation of tight junction-related genes in the mucosa suggest mucosal barrier damage. Alterations in the cecal microbiota include reduced relative abundance of the mucin-degrading bacteria Akkermansia, beneficial bacteria Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and H₂ S-producing bacteria Desulfovibrio and increased relative abundance of the pro-inflammatory bacteria Escherichia-Shigella and pathobiont Mucispirillum.

CONCLUSION

HOP intake causes the accumulation of oxidative products, increases body weight, damages the intestinal barrier, and induces oxidative stress and inflammatory response, likely by altering gut microbiota through protein oxidation (POX).

Whey proteins: targets of oxidation, or mediators of redox protection

Bovine whey proteins are highly valued dairy ingredients. This is primarily due to their amino acid content, digestibility, bioactivities and their processing characteristics. One of the reported bioactivities of whey proteins is antioxidant activity. Numerous dietary intervention trials with humans and animals indicate that consumption of whey products can modulate redox biomarkers to reduce oxidative stress. This bioactivity has in part been assigned to whey peptides using a range of biochemical or cellular assays in vitro. Superimposing whey peptide sequences from gastrointestinal samples, with whey peptides proven to be antioxidant in vitro, allows us to propose peptides from whey likely to exhibit antioxidant activity in the diet. However, whey proteins themselves are targets of oxidation during processing particularly when exposed to high thermal loads and/or extensive processing (e.g. infant formula manufacture). Oxidative damage of whey proteins can be selective with regard to the residues that are modified and are associated with the degree of protein unfolding, with α-Lactalbumin more susceptible than β-Lactoglobulin. Such oxidative damage may have adverse effects on human health. This review summarises how whey proteins can modulate cellular redox pathways and conversely how whey proteins can be oxidised during processing. Given the extensive processing steps that whey proteins are often subjected to, we conclude that oxidation during processing is likely to compromise the positive health attributes associated with whey proteins.

The Chemistry of Protein Oxidation in Food

Oxidation is one of the deterioration reactions of proteins in food, the importance of which is comparable to others such as Maillard, lipation, or protein-phenol reactions. While research on protein oxidation has led to a precise understanding of the processes and consequences in physiological systems, knowledge about the specific effects of protein oxidation in food or the role of "oxidized" dietary protein for the human body is comparatively scarce. Food protein oxidation can occur during the whole processing axis, from primary production to intestinal digestion. The present review summarizes the current knowledge and mechanisms of food protein oxidation from a chemical, technological, and nutritional-physiological viewpoint and gives a comprehensive classification of the individual reactions. Different analytical approaches are compared, and the relationship between oxidation of food proteins and oxidative stress in vivo is critically evaluated.

Discovery of High Affinity Receptors for Dityrosine through Inverse Virtual Screening and Docking and Molecular Dynamics

Dityrosine is the product of oxidation that has been linked to a number of serious pathological conditions. Evidence indicates that high amounts of dityrosine exist in oxidized milk powders and some milk related foodstuffs, further reducing the nutritional value of oxidized proteins. Therefore, we hypothesize that some receptors related to special diseases would be targets for dityrosine. However, the mechanisms of the interaction of dityrosine with probable targets are still unknown. In the present work, an inverse virtual screening approach was performed to screen possible novel targets for dityrosine. Molecular docking studies were performed on a panel of targets extracted from the potential drug target database (PDTD) to optimize and validate the screening results. Firstly, two different conformations cis- and trans- were found for dityrosine during minimization. Moreover, Tubulin (αT) (−11.0 kcal/mol) was identified as a target for cis-dityrosine (CDT), targets including αT (−11.2 kcal/mol) and thyroid hormone receptor beta-1 (−10.7 kcal/mol) presented high binding affinities for trans-dityrosine (TDT). Furthermore, in order to provide binding complexes with higher precision, the three docked systems were further refined by performing thermo dynamic simulations. A series of techniques for searching for the most stable binding pose and the calculation of binding free energy are elaborately provided in this work. The major interactions between these targets and dityrosine were hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen bonding. The application of inverse virtual screening method may facilitate the prediction of unknown targets for known ligands, and direct future experimental assays.

Aggregation of α- and β- caseins induced by peroxyl radicals involves secondary reactions of carbonyl compounds as well as di-tyrosine and di-tryptophan formation

The present work examined the role of Tyr and Trp in oxidative modifications of caseins, the most abundant milk proteins, induced by peroxyl radicals (ROO^•). We hypothesized that the selectivity of ROO^• and the high flexibility of caseins (implying a high exposure of Tyr and Trp residues) would favor radical-radical reactions, and di-tyrosine (di-Tyr) and di-tryptophan (di-Trp) formation. Solutions of α- and β-caseins were exposed to ROO^• from thermolysis and photolysis of AAPH (2,2'-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine)dihydrochloride). Oxidative modifications were examined using electrophoresis, western blotting, fluorescence, and chromatographic methodologies with diode array, fluorescence and mass detection. Exposure of caseins to AAPH at 37 °C gave fragmentation, cross-linking and protein aggregation. Amino acid analysis showed consumption of Trp, Tyr, Met, His and Lys residues. Quantification of Trp and Tyr products, showed low levels of di-Tyr and di-Trp, together with an accumulation of carbonyls indicating that casein aggregation is, at least partly, associated with secondary reactions between carbonyls and Lys and His residues. AAPH photolysis, which generates a high flux of free radicals increased the extent of formation of di-Tyr in both model peptides and α- and β- caseins; di-Trp was only detected in peptides and α-casein. Thus, in spite of the high flexibility of caseins, which would be expected to favor radical-radical reactions, the low flux of ROO^• generated during AAPH thermolysis disfavours the formation of dimeric radical-radical cross-links such as di-Tyr and di-Trp, instead favoring other O₂-dependent crosslinking pathways such as those involving secondary reactions of initial carbonyl products.

Health Effects of Dietary Oxidized Tyrosine and Dityrosine Administration in Mice with Nutrimetabolomic Strategies

This study aims to investigate the health effects of long-term dietary oxidized tyrosine (O-Tyr) and its main product (dityrosine) administration on mice metabolism. Mice received daily intragastric administration of either O-Tyr (320 μg/kg body weight), dityrosine (Dityr, 320 μg/kg body weight), or saline for consecutive 6 weeks. Urine and plasma samples were analyzed by NMR-based metabolomics strategies. Body weight, clinical chemistry, oxidative damage indexes, and histopathological data were obtained as complementary information. O-Tyr and Dityr exposure changed many systemic metabolic processes, including reduced choline bioavailability, led to fat accumulation in liver, induced hepatic injury, and renal dysfunction, resulted in changes in gut microbiota functions, elevated risk factor for cardiovascular disease, altered amino acid metabolism, induced oxidative stress responses, and inhibited energy metabolism. These findings implied that it is absolutely essential to reduce the generation of oxidation protein products in food system through improving modern food processing methods.

Recent Advances of Curcumin in the Prevention and Treatment of Renal Fibrosis

Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from the turmeric, has received attention as a potential treatment for renal fibrosis primarily because it is a relatively safe and inexpensive compound that contributes to kidney health. Here, we review the literatures on the applications of curcumin in resolving renal fibrosis in animal models and summarize the mechanisms of curcumin and its analogs (C66 and (1E,4E)-1,5-bis(2-bromophenyl) penta-1,4-dien-3-one(B06)) in preventing inflammatory molecules release and reducing the deposition of extracellular matrix at the priming and activation stage of renal fibrosis in animal models by consulting PubMed and Cnki databases over the past 15 years. Curcumin exerts antifibrotic effect through reducing inflammation related factors (MCP-1, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and cav-1) and inducing the expression of anti-inflammation factors (HO-1, M6PRBP1, and NEDD4) as well as targeting TGF-β/Smads, MAPK/ERK, and PPAR-γ pathways in animal models. As a food derived compound, curcumin is becoming a promising drug candidate for improving renal health.

Health Risks of Food Oxidation

The impact of dietary habits on our health is indisputable. Consumer's concern on aging and age-related diseases challenges scientists to underline the potential role of food on the extension and guarantee of lifespan and healthspan. While some dietary components and habits are generally regarded as beneficial for our health, some others are being found to exert potential toxic effects and hence, contribute to the onset of particular health disorders. Among the latter, lipid and protein oxidation products formed during food production, storage, processing, and culinary preparation have been recently identified as potentially harmful to humans. Upon intake, food components are further degraded and oxidized during the subsequent digestion phases and the pool of compounds formed in the lumen is in close contact with the lamina propria of the intestines. Some of these oxidation products have been found to promote inflammatory conditions in the gut (i.e., bowel diseases) and are also reasonably linked to the onset of carcinogenic processes. Upon intestinal uptake, some species are distributed by the bloodstream causing an increase in oxidative stress markers and impairment of certain physiological processes through alteration of specific gene expression pathways. This chapter summarizes the most recent discoveries on this topic with particular stress on challenges that we face in the near future: understanding the molecular basis of disease, the suitability of using living animals vs in vitro model systems and the necessity of using massive genomic techniques and versatile mass spectrometric technology.

Effects of dietary oxidized tyrosine products on insulin secretion via the thyroid hormone T3-regulated TRβ1–Akt–mTOR pathway in the pancreas

Oxidized tyrosine products (OTPs) have been detected in commercial foods with high protein content.

Metabolomic studies on the systemic responses of mice with oxidative stress induced by short-term oxidized tyrosine administration

Oxidized tyrosine (O-Tyr) has attracted more interest in recent years because many researchers have discovered that it and its product (dityrosine) are associated with pathological conditions, especially various age-related disorders in biological systems.

Effect of dietary oxidized tyrosine products on insulin secretion via the oxidative stress-induced mitochondria damage in mice pancreas

The findings suggested that decreased insulin secretion triggered by OTPs may be mediated by oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage in pancreatic β cells.

24-Week Exposure to Oxidized Tyrosine Induces Hepatic Fibrosis Involving Activation of the MAPK/TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway in Sprague-Dawley Rats Model

SCOPE

Oxidized tyrosine (O-Tyr) has been widely detected in many consumer protein products. O-Tyr products such as dityrosine (Dityr) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) are universal biomarkers of protein oxidation and have been demonstrated to be associated with metabolic disorders in biological system. Evaluation of potential intracorporal effects of dietary O-Tyr is important since the mechanism of biological impacts induced by oral oxidized protein products (OPPs) is still limited although we have proved that some dietary OPPs would induce oxidative injury to liver and kidney.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The present study aimed to investigate the dose-dependent hepatic injury caused by oral O-Tyr in rats. 24-week feeding of O-Tyr enhanced aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, increased total bilirubin (TBiL) content, and led to oxidative damage in rats liver. Besides, O-Tyr distinctly increased the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK2 MAPKs and enhanced fibrosis-related TGF-β1 and Smad2/3 levels. Higher extracellular matrix (ECM) indexes (ICTP, PIIINP) and histological examination (HE and Masson staining) also supported dose-dependent hepatic fibrosis caused by O-Tyr.

CONCLUSION

These findings reveal that O-Tyr may induce oxidative damage and hepatic fibrosis via MAPK/TGF-β1 signaling pathway, in which ROS together with malondialdehyde (MDA) and OPPs act as the pivotal mediators.

Histopatological alterations and oxidative stress in liver and kidney of Leuciscus cephalus following exposure to heavy metals in the Tur River, North Western Romania

Pollution of the aquatic environment by heavy metals is a great concern worldwide. Freshwater fish ingests various metals through gills, skin or diet. Our aim was to investigate the oxidative stress and histopathological injuries induced by Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd in the liver and kidney of Leuciscus cephalus. Fish samples were collected from two sites in the Tur River, NW Romania, in upstream and downstream of a pollution source. Metals were differently distributed in the liver and kidney of fish. The highest concentrations of Fe, Cu and Pb were found in liver, whereas Zn and Cd concentrations were the highest in kidney in specimens collected from the downstream site. The histopathological changes were associated with metal bioaccumulation, being more severe in kidney than liver. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) increased significantly in the liver and kidney of fish from downstream site compared to upstream one, whereas reduced glutathione (GSH) decreased. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) increased significantly in livers, whereas SOD increased in kidney. Our study revealed that liver has a higher capacity and adaptability to counteract ROS compared to kidney. The more pronounced increase of hepatic SOD, CAT and GST activities is related milder structural changes observed in liver compared to kidney, where lesions were not reduced by antioxidant defense system.

Oxidative damage to poultry: from farm to fork

Poultry and poultry meat are particularly susceptible to oxidative reactions. Oxidation processes have been for decades the focus of animal and meat scientists owing to the negative impact of these reactions on animal growth, performance, and food quality. Lipid oxidation has been recognized a major threat to the quality of processed poultry products. The recent discoveries on the occurrence of protein oxidation in muscle foods have increased the scientific and technological interest in a topic that broadens the horizons of food biochemistry into innovative fields. Furthermore, in recent years we have witnessed a growing interest in consumers on the impact of diet and oxidation on health and aging. Hence, the general description of oxidative reactions as harmful phenomena goes beyond the actual impact on animal production and food quality and reaches the potential influence of oxidized foods on consumer health. Likewise, the current antioxidant strategies aim for the protection of the living tissues, the food systems, and a potential health benefit in the consumer upon ingestion. Along these lines, the application of phytochemicals and other microelements (Se, Cu) with antioxidant potential in the feeds or directly in the meat product are strategies of substantial significance. The present paper reviews in a concise manner the most relevant and novel aspects of the mechanisms and consequences of oxidative reactions in poultry and poultry meat, and describes current antioxidant strategies against these undesirable reactions.