Phosphopeptides (PPPs) from hen egg yolk phosvitin exert anti-inflammatory activity via modulation of cytokine expression

Metabolome analysis of egg yolk and white following dietary supplementation with Ampelopsis grossedentata extract

Eggs are recognized for their rich nutrient profile, providing essential proteins and lipids with notable functional properties. This study examines the effects of incorporating Water Extract of Ampelopsis grossedentata (WEA) into poultry feed on egg quality, focusing on lipid content, choline, L-carnitine levels, and flavonoid compound deposition. Our results show significant increases in essential amino acids, flavonoids, and other bioactive compounds in eggs from WEA-treated hens, suggesting enhanced cardiovascular, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory benefits. Additionally, we observed elevated levels of choline and betaine in egg yolks, alongside increased L-carnitine content, which may contribute to improved lipid metabolism and reduced cardiovascular disease risk. KEGG pathway analysis revealed upregulation of metabolites involved in critical metabolic pathways, enhancing the nutritional profile of eggs. Flavonoid compounds, traditionally associated with plant-based foods, were also significantly increased, with notable levels of 7, 4'-dihydroxyflavone, daidzein, and glycitein identified in WEA-treated eggs, indicating potential health benefits. These findings suggest that WEA supplementation can produce functional eggs with improved nutritional quality, offering a novel approach to enhancing egg production and meeting the growing demand for functional foods. Further research is needed to fully understand the bioavailability and health impacts of these enriched compounds.

The Combined Effect of Potential Probiotic Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2514 and Bifidobacterium breve NCIM 5671 Towards Anti-inflammatory Activity on HT-29 Cell Lines

Probiotics are considered a natural source for treating many intestinal disorders, which deliver health benefits in different ways. The study aims to evaluate the immunomodulatory gene expression on HT-29 cell line using Bacillus licheniformis MCC 2514 and Bifidobacterium breve NCIM 5671 as a single culture and in combination. Upon inflammation induced by LPS, the combination of bacteria downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α (13.4), IL-12 (14.6), IL-8 (2.6), and IL-6 (1.9), and in contrast, TNF-α (21.2) folds has upregulated. However, anti-inflammatory genes such as IL-4 (0.6), IL-10 (2.9), TGF-2 (92.2), and TGF-3 (85.8) folds were upregulated. The combination of bacteria against oxidative stress downregulated the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1α & β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and IL-18, and upregulated the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10, IL-4, TGF-2, and TGF-3. On the introduction of Kocuria rhizophila, the pro-inflammatory cytokines were upregulated. On supplementation of B. licheniformis and B. breve, the upregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines were decreased, and anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-4 (6.2), IL-10 (23.5), TGF-2 (166), and TGF-3(28.4) folds were increased. However, gene expression of toll-like receptor-2 was found high (26 folds) upon introducing probiotic bacteria. ELISA results of Interferon-γ found that the expression was higher (7.19 ng/mL) on the introduction of both the bacteria in combination. The higher anti-inflammatory activity was observed when potential probiotic bacteria were used in combination compared to a single culture. Overall study indicates that the combination of aerobic B. licheniformis and anaerobic B. breve has an anti-inflammatory activity that can sustain an excellent gastrointestinal environment during pathogen invasion and inflammation.

Ovotransferrin exerts bidirectional immunomodulatory activities via TLR4-mediated signal transduction pathways in RAW264.7 cells

The immune regulation function of ovotransferrin (OVT) explored using the RAW264.7 was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as vitro model in this study. The results showed that RAW264.7 cultured with OVT (200 μg/ml) alone not only enhanced the phagocytic activity and the production and expression of inflammatory factors, but also expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene was significantly promoted by OVT. OVT (50 μg/ml) significantly inhibited the secretion and expression of inflammatory factors in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7, but CD14 and TLR4 genes expressions were no obvious effects. Inflammatory cytokines and NO secreted by OVT-induced macrophages pretreated with inhibitors of TLR4 were down-regulated. We further verified the effects of OVT on inflammatory signaling pathway-related proteins through immunofluorescence and western blotting, MyD88, TLR4 and the phosphorylation of IκBα and p65 were significantly promoted by OVT, but there was no significant effects on the phosphorylation of IRF3. OVT promoted the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 in RAW264.7 and inhibited the phosphorylated expression of MAPK in LPS-mediated inflammation. These results indicated that OVT had the bidirectional immunoregulatory function through TLR4-mediated NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway, that is, anti-inflammatory effect of low concentration and immune-enhancing activity of high concentration were showed. That provides a theoretical utilization for the development and utilization of OVT.

Anticancer and immunomodulatory activity of egg proteins and peptides: a review

Eggs are widely recognized as a highly nutritious food source that offer specific health benefits for humans. Eggs contain all of the proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and growth factors necessary for embryonic development. In particular, egg white and yolk proteins are considered functional food substances because they possess biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, metal-chelating, antihypertensive, anticancer, and immunomodulatory activities. Peptides produced via processes such as enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation by microorganisms, and some chemical and physical treatments of egg proteins have been shown to enhance the functional properties and solubility of these peptides. Peptide activity is strongly related to amino acid sequence, composition, and length. At present, cancer remains among the leading causes of mortality worldwide, and therefore research aimed at developing new treatments for cancer immunotherapy is of great interest. The present review focuses primarily on the anticancer and immunomodulatory activities of egg proteins and their peptides and provides some insight into their underlying mechanisms of action. A number of egg proteins and peptides have been reported to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, protect against DNA damage, decrease the invasion ability of cancer cells, and exhibit cytotoxic and antimutagenic activity in various cancer cell lines. Furthermore, egg proteins and peptides can stimulate or suppress pro- or anti-inflammatory cytokines, as well as affect the production of inflammatory mediators in a variety of cell lines. In addition, the composition of eggs and the processes of egg proteins and peptides production will be discussed.

The Influence of Nutrients on Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases is a group of inflammatory diseases. The pathogenesis of diseases is multifactorial, which may include a Western-type diet. Diseases occur with periods of recurrence and remission. Many factors can have a beneficial effect on reducing the frequency of recurrence and prolonging the remission period. Such ingredients include dietary fibre, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, certain vitamins (D, C, and E), flavonoids, and minerals such as zinc and selenium. Properly selected nutrition might be an integral part of the treatment of patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Biological Activities of Egg Yolk Lipids: A Review

As one of six dietary nutrients, lipid derived from different food matrices has been extensively studied and has an appropriate application in food, medicine, and cosmetic industry. Egg is a richly nutritive food, of which proteins and lipids possess excellent functional characteristics and biological activities. In recent years, egg yolk lipid has been successively separated and investigated, such as egg yolk oil, phospholipids, and fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity, cardiovascular protection, and memory improvement, involving the regulation of cell function and physiological homeostatic balance. In this paper, the biological activities and underlying benefit of egg yolk lipids and fat-soluble components have been highlighted and summarized. Meanwhile, the quantitative data of egg yolk lipids needed to achieve any of the described biological effects and recommended concentrations relevant for dietary intake are reviewed. Finally, current challenges and crucial issues of high-efficiency utilization of egg yolk lipids are also discussed.

Effective Preparation Method of Phosphopeptides from Phosvitin and the Analysis of Peptide Profiles Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The effect of high-temperature and mild-pressure (HTMP) pretreatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis of phosvitin and the structural characteristics of the phosphopeptides produced were analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry. The HTMP pretreatment hydrolyzed phosvitin at random sites and helped the subsequent enzyme hydrolysis of the peptides produced. With the HTMP pretreatment alone, 154 peptides were produced, while the use of trypsin, Protex 6L, and Multifect 14L in combination with the pretreatment produced 252, 280, and 164 peptides, respectively. The use of two enzyme combinations (trypsin + Protex 6L and trypsin + Multifect 14L) helped the hydrolysis further. The number of phosphopeptides produced increased when the modifications within the same amino acid sequences were considered. This study indicated that HTMP pretreatment was a breakthrough method to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of phosvitin that enabled an easy production of phosvitin phosphopeptides for their subsequent functional characterizations.

Anti-inflammatory effect of preserved egg with simulated gastrointestinal digestion on LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells

Preserved egg, a traditional Chinese egg product, is regarded as an anti-inflammatory food in traditional Chinese medicine. This study was aimed to examine anti-inflammatory effect of the simulated gastrointestinal digestive products of whole preserved egg (DWPE), preserved egg white (DPEW), and preserved egg yolk (DPEY) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The results demonstrated that DWPE, DPEW, or DPEY inhibited the LPS-induced secretion of Nitric oxide (NO), without marked cytotoxicity. The DWPE, DPEW, and DPEY significantly suppressed the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6. Particularly, the inhibition rate of DPEW on NO, IL-6, and TNF-α could reach 25 to 27%, 31 to 42%, and 26 to 38%, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the DPEW and DPEY downregulated the gene expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase in a dose-dependent manner. Taken together, this study indicated that DWPE, DPEW, and DPEY, especially DPEW, might serve as functional food for anti-inflammatory therapy.

Bioactive Egg Proteins

The nutritional excellence of chicken egg is derived from its task as a life-giving medium, supplying the necessary nutrients to the hen's embryo while protecting it from external threats. Additionally, egg proteins possess unique biological activities above and beyond their known functional and nutritional roles. In the last few decades, extensive research has been done to evaluate the various biological activities of egg proteins and protein-derived peptides. Egg proteins and protein-derived peptides have been attributed to diverse biological activities, the most well-known being their antimicrobial properties. However, egg proteins and peptides have been shown to have other biological activities, such as antihypertensive, antioxidant, anticancer, immunomodulatory, and protease inhibitory activity. Egg-derived bioactive proteins have had a relevant scientific impact and exhibit promising applicability as an ingredient for the development of functional foods and nutraceuticals. However, it is critical to understand the effects of these proteins in signaling pathways to delineate their molecular mechanisms of action. Further studies are required to fill the current knowledge gaps. Therefore, the purpose of the chapter is to illustrate the present knowledge of the bioactivity of different egg proteins and their physiological effects.

Isolation and identification of peptides from simulated gastrointestinal digestion of preserved egg white and their anti-inflammatory activity in TNF-α-induced Caco-2 cells

Simulated gastrointestinal digestion of preserved egg white (SGD-PEW) exerts anti-inflammatory effects on Caco-2 cells and a mouse model of DSS-induced colitis. Here, we aimed to separate peptides derived from SGD-PEW and evaluate their anti-inflammatory effects using an in vitro inflammatory model. Six peptides were isolated and identified. DEDTQAMPFR (DR-10), DEDTQAMPF (DF-9), MLGATSL (ML-7) and MSYSAGF (MF-7) significantly inhibited IL-8 secretion and markedly decreased gene expression, including TNF-α, IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-12 and promoted IL-10 gene expression in Caco-2 cells. DR-10, DF-9, ML-7 and MF-7 significantly inhibited the phosphorylation of JNK. In the meantime, DR-10 and DF-9 significantly reduced the phosphorylation of IκB and p38. These results indicated that ML-7 and MF-7 exerted their anti-inflammatory activity through the MAPK signaling pathway in TNF-α-induced Caco-2 cells. Whereas, DR-10 and DF-9 inhibited the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The results suggested that DR-10, DF-9, ML-7 and MF-7 derived from SGD-PEW may be a new type of prophylactic food for the treatment of inflammation.

Egg Protein-Derived Bioactive Peptides: Preparation, Efficacy, and Absorption

The hen's egg is an important protein source of human diet. On average one large egg contains ~6g protein, which contributes to ~11% of daily protein intake. As a high-quality protein, egg proteins are well recognized as excellent sources of bioactive peptides. The objectives of this chapter are to introduce generation, bioactivities, and absorption of egg protein-derived bioactive peptides. Research on egg protein-derived bioactive peptides has been progressed during the past decades. Enzymatic hydrolysis is the major technique to prepare bioactive peptides from egg protein. Quantitative structure-activity relationships-aided in silico prediction is increasingly applied as a promising tool for efficient prediction of novel bioactive peptides. A number of bioactive peptides from egg proteins have been characterized for antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, and antimicrobial activities. Egg protein-derived peptides that can improve bone health have been reported as well. However, molecular mechanisms of many peptides are not fully understood. The stability and absorption routes, bioavailability, safety, and production of bioactive peptides await further investigation.

Immunomodulating peptides for food allergy prevention and treatment

Among the most promising strategies currently assayed against IgE-mediated allergic diseases stands the possibility of using immunomodulating peptides to induce oral tolerance toward offending food allergens or even to prevent allergic sensitization. This review focuses on the beneficial effects of food derived immunomodulating peptides on food allergy, which can be directly exerted in the intestinal tract or once being absorbed through the intestinal epithelial barrier to interact with immune cells. Food peptides influence intestinal homeostasis by maintaining and reinforcing barrier function or affecting intestinal cell-signalling to nearby immune cells and mucus secretion. In addition, they can stimulate cells of the innate and adaptive immune system while supressing inflammatory responses. Peptides represent an attractive alternative to whole allergens to enhance the safety and efficacy of immunotherapy treatments. The conclusions drawn from curative and preventive experiments in murine models are promising, although there is a need for more pre-clinical studies to further explore the immunomodulating strategy and its mechanisms and for a deeper knowledge of the peptide sequence and structural requirements that determine the immunoregulatory function.

Collagen peptides ameliorate intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction in immunostimulatory Caco-2 cell monolayers via enhancing tight junctions

Dysfunction of the intestinal barrier plays a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple organ failure. The effect of Alaska pollock skin-derived collagen and its 3 tryptic hydrolytic fractions, HCP (6 kDa retentate), MCP (3 kDa retentate) and LCP (3 kDa permeate) on TNF-α induced barrier dysfunction was investigated in Caco-2 cell monolayers. TNF-α induced barrier dysfunction was significantly attenuated by the collagen and its peptide fractions, especially LCP, compared to TNF-α treated controls (P < 0.05). Compared to a negative control, 24 h pre-incubation with 2 mg mL^-1 LCP significantly alleviated the TNF-α induced breakdown of the tight junction protein ZO-1 and occludin and inhibited MLC phosphorylation and MLCK expression. The activation of NFκB and Elk-1 was suppressed by LCP. Thus, collagen peptides may attenuate TNF-α induced barrier dysfunction of Caco-2 cells by inhibiting the NFκB and ERK1/2-mediated MLCK pathway with associated decreases in ZO-1 and occludin protein expression.

Anti-inflammatory Effects of Poly-L-lysine in Intestinal Mucosal System Mediated by Calcium-Sensing Receptor Activation

Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis and promoting recovery of damaged intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). Poly-L-lysine (PL) is a basic polypeptide identified for its role in the activation of CaSR through allosteric binding. The primary goal of the current study was to identify the modulatory effect of PL on intestinal inflammation and to determine whether these effects were mediated by CaSR activation. We used human intestinal epithelial cell lines, Caco-2 and HT-29, to assess PL anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. We found that PL reduced the IL-8 secretion from tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-treated human intestinal epithelial cell lines. On the other hand, the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β was inhibited by PL supplementation. We subsequently evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of PL in vivo using a DSS-induced mouse colitis model. PL supplementation was shown to prevent dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced loss of weight, colitic symptoms, and shortening of colon length but maintained colonic morphology. The pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the mouse colon, including TNF-α, IL-6, INF-γ, IL-17, and IL-1β, was significantly up-regulated by DSS treatment, but was inhibited upon PL administration. As shown by the results from both in vitro and in vivo studies, the reduction of inflammatory cytokine production caused by PL was reversed by NPS-2143 pretreatment. In the present study, we provide evidence that PL exerts anti-inflammatory effects on the gut system, which is primarily mediated by allosteric ligand activation of CaSR.