Preparation and functional evaluation of collagen oligopeptide-rich hydrolysate from fish skin with the serine collagenolytic protease from Pseudoalteromonas sp. SM9913

Laburnicotides A-F: Acyclic N-Acetyl Oligopeptides from the Nematode-Cyst-Associated Fungus Laburnicola nematophila

Nematode-associated fungi revealed the potential to produce a broad spectrum of chemical scaffolds. In this study, a mycelial extract of Laburnicola nematophila, a fungal strain derived from the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi, was chemically explored and afforded six unprecedentedly reported acylic N-acetyl oligopeptides, laburnicotides A-F (1-6). Structure elucidation of the isolated compounds was established based on comprehensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analyses together with the acquired HR-ESI-MS spectrometric data. The absolute configuration of amino acid residues in 1-6 was established by performing advanced Marfey's derivatization method. All isolated compounds were assessed for their cytotoxic, antimicrobial, antiviral, and nematicidal activities with no potential activity observed.

Production of marine bacterial metalloprotease A69 and evaluation of its potential in preparing soybean peptides with angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory activity

BACKGROUND

Marine bacteria secrete a variety of proteases, which are a good source to explore proteases with application value. However, only a few marine bacterial proteases with a potential in bioactive peptides preparation have been reported.

RESULTS

The metalloprotease A69 from the marine bacterium Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus 1A02591 was successfully expressed in the food safe bacterium Bacillus subtilis as a secreted enzyme. A technique to efficiently produce protease A69 in a 15-L bioreactor was established, with a production of 8988 U mL-1 . Based on optimizing the hydrolysis parameters of A69 on soybean protein, a process for soybean protein peptides (SPs) preparation was set up, in which soybean protein was hydrolyzed by A69 at 4000 U g-1 and 60 °C for 3 h. The prepared SPs had a high content (> 90%) of peptides with a molecular mass less than 3000 Da and contained 18 amino acids. The prepared SPs showed high angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity, with an IC50 value of 0.135 mg mL-1 . Moreover, three ACE-inhibitory peptides, RPSYT, VLIVP and LAIPVNKP, were identified from the SPs using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

CONCLUSION

The marine bacterial metalloprotease A69 has a promising potential for preparing SPs with good nutritional and potential antihypertensive effects, laying a good foundation for its industrial production and application. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Production and Partial Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Underutilized Marine Bioresources for a Cosmetic Formulation: Cytotoxicity and Bioactivity Evaluation

Hydrolyzed collagen, glycogen, and hyaluronic acid, obtained through the biotechnological valorization of underutilized marine bioresources, fulfill cosmetic industry requirements for sustainable products produced under circular economy principles. Hydrolyzed collagen was obtained by hydrolyzing blue shark collagen with papain and ultrafiltration. Glycogen was isolated from industrial mussel cooking wastewaters through ultrafiltration, precipitation, and selective polysaccharide separation. Hyaluronic acid was produced by fermentation, purification, and depolymerization. The main objective was to test the feasibility of including these three biomolecules in a cosmetic formulation as bioactive compounds. For this, the in vitro irritant potential of the three ingredients and also that of the cosmetic formulation was assayed according to the Reconstituted Human Epithelium Test method OECD 439. Moreover, an in vitro assessment of the effect of hydrolyzed collagen and hyaluronic acid combinations on mRNA expression and collagen type I synthesis was evaluated in adult human fibroblasts. This study establishes, for the first time, the potential use of particular hydrolyzed collagen and hyaluronic acid combinations as stimulators of collagen I synthesis in fibroblast cultures. Besides, it provide safety information regarding potential use of those biomolecules in the formulation of a cosmetic preparation positively concluding that both, ingredients and cosmetic preparation, resulted not irritant for skin following an international validated reference method.

Mechanistic Insight Into the Production of Collagen Oligopeptides by the S8 Family Protease A4095

Collagen oligopeptides have wide applications in foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and others due to their high bioactivities and bioavailability. The S8 family is the second-largest family of serine proteases. Several collagenolytic proteases from this family have been reported to have good potential in the preparation of collagen oligopeptides, however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. A4095 was the most abundant S8 protease secreted by the protease-producing bacterium Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus 1A02591. Here, we characterized A4095 as an S8 collagenolytic protease and illustrated its structural basis to produce collagen oligopeptides. Protease A4095 preferentially hydrolyzed the Y-Gly peptide bonds in denatured bovine bone collagen, leading to high production (62.48% <1000 Da) of collagen oligopeptides. Structural and mutational analyses indicated that A4095 has a unique S1' substrate-binding pocket to preferentially bind Gly, which is the structural determinant for the high production of collagen oligopeptides. This study provides mechanistic insight into the advantage of the S8 collagenolytic proteases in preparing collagen oligopeptides.

Unconventional microbial proteases as promising tools for the production of bioactive protein hydrolysates

Enzymatic hydrolysis is the most prominent strategy to release bioactive peptides from different food proteins and protein-rich by-products. Unconventional microbial proteases (UMPs) have gaining increased attention for such purposes, particularly from the 2010s. In this review, we present and discuss aspects related to UMPs production, and their use to obtain bioactive protein hydrolysates. Antioxidant and anti-hypertensive potentials, commonly evaluated through in vitro testing, are mainly reported. The in vivo bioactivities of protein hydrolysates and peptides produced through UMPs action are highlighted. In addition to bioactivities, enzymatic hydrolysis acts by modulating the functional properties of proteins for potential food uses. The compiled literature indicates that UMPs are promising biocatalysts to generate bioactive protein hydrolysates, adding up to commercially available enzymes. From the recent interest on this topic, continuous and in-depth research is needed to advance toward the applicability and commercial utility of both UMPs and obtained hydrolysates.

Characterization of Acid- and Pepsin-Soluble Collagen Extracted from the Skin of Purple-Spotted Bigeye Snapper

Fish processing waste is a prospective source of collagen and a cost-effective environmental pollutant. The skin of the purple-spotted bigeye snapper (Priacanthus tayenus) was extracted utilising various acid soluble collagens (ASC) including acetic acid (AAC), lactic acid (LAC), citric acid (CAC) and pepsin soluble collagens (PSC). In this study, PSC (6.65%) had the highest collagen yield, followed by AAC (5.79%), CAC (4.15%), and LAC (3.19%). The maximum temperatures (Tmax) denaturation of AAC, LAC, CAC, and PSC were 31.4, 31.7, 31.5, and 33.2 °C, respectively. UV-VIS absorption spectra showed all extracted collagens had a range of absorbance at 230 nm, due to the presence of glycine, proline, hydroxyproline, and triple-helical collagen. Additionally, they exhibited amide A, B, amide I, II, and III peaks. SDS−PAGE identified all extracted collagens as type I. The PSC had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) hydroxyproline content than acidic extraction 66.3 ± 1.03 (mg/g sample). Furthermore, all samples were extremely soluble in acetic conditions at pH 5, and all collagen was soluble in NaCl up to 3% (w/v). Therefore, PSC was the best treatment since it did not impact collagen triple helical and acetic acid yielded the most collagen in ASC extraction. Overall, the analysis revealed that fish skin waste might be used as an alternate source of collagen in diverse applications, particularly in food applications.

Mechanistic Insight into the Fragmentation of Type I Collagen Fibers into Peptides and Amino Acids by a Vibrio Collagenase

Vibrio collagenases of the M9A subfamily are closely related to Vibrio pathogenesis for their role in collagen degradation during host invasion. Although some Vibrio collagenases have been characterized, the collagen degradation mechanism of Vibrio collagenase is still largely unknown. Here, an M9A collagenase, VP397, from marine Vibrio pomeroyi strain 12613 was characterized, and its fragmentation pattern on insoluble type I collagen fibers was studied. VP397 is a typical Vibrio collagenase composed of a catalytic module featuring a peptidase M9N domain and a peptidase M9 domain and two accessory bacterial prepeptidase C-terminal domains (PPC domains). It can hydrolyze various collagenous substrates, including fish collagen, mammalian collagens of types I to V, triple-helical peptide [(POG)₁₀]₃, gelatin, and 4-phenylazobenzyloxycarbonyl-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-o-Arg (Pz-peptide). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observation and biochemical analyses revealed that VP397 first assaults the C-telopeptide region to dismantle the compact structure of collagen and dissociate tropocollagen fragments, which are further digested into peptides and amino acids by VP397 mainly at the Y-Gly bonds in the repeating Gly-X-Y triplets. In addition, domain deletion mutagenesis showed that the catalytic module of VP397 alone is capable of hydrolyzing type I collagen fibers and that its C-terminal PPC2 domain functions as a collagen-binding domain during collagenolysis. Based on our results, a model for the collagenolytic mechanism of VP397 is proposed. This study sheds light on the mechanism of collagen degradation by Vibrio collagenase, offering a better understanding of the pathogenesis of Vibrio and helping in developing the potential applications of Vibrio collagenase in industrial and medical areas. IMPORTANCE Many Vibrio species are pathogens and cause serious diseases in humans and aquatic animals. The collagenases produced by pathogenic Vibrio species have been regarded as important virulence factors, which occasionally exhibit direct pathogenicity to the infected host or facilitate other toxins' diffusion through the digestion of host collagen. However, our knowledge concerning the collagen degradation mechanism of Vibrio collagenase is still limited. This study reveals the degradation strategy of Vibrio collagenase VP397 on type I collagen. VP397 binds on collagen fibrils via its C-terminal PPC2 domain, and its catalytic module first assaults the C-telopeptide region and then attacks the Y-Gly bonds in the dissociated tropocollagen fragments to release peptides and amino acids. This study offers new knowledge regarding the collagenolytic mechanism of Vibrio collagenase, which is helpful for better understanding the role of collagenase in Vibrio pathogenesis and for developing its industrial and medical applications.

Valorization of fish byproducts: Sources to end-product applications of bioactive protein hydrolysate

Fish processing industries result in an ample number of protein-rich byproducts, which have been used to produce protein hydrolysate (PH) for human consumption. Chemical, microbial, and enzymatic hydrolysis processes have been implemented for the production of fish PH (FPH) from diverse types of fish processing byproducts. FPH has been reported to possess bioactive active peptides known to exhibit various biological activities such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, angiotensin-I converting enzyme inhibition, calcium-binding ability, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibition, immunomodulation, and antiproliferative activity, which are discussed comprehensively in this review. Appropriate conditions for the hydrolysis process (e.g., type and concentration of enzymes, time, and temperature) play an important role in achieving the desired level of hydrolysis, thus affecting the functional and bioactive properties and stability of FPH. This review provides an in-depth and comprehensive discussion on the sources, process parameters, purification as well as functional and bioactive properties of FPHs. The most recent research findings on the impact of production parameters, bitterness of peptide, storage, and food processing conditions on functional properties and stability of FPH were also reported. More importantly, the recent studies on biological activities of FPH and in vivo health benefits were discussed with the possible mechanism of action. Furthermore, FPH-polyphenol conjugate, encapsulation, and digestive stability of FPH were discussed in terms of their potential to be utilized as a nutraceutical ingredient. Last but not the least, various industrial applications of FPH and the fate of FPH in terms of limitations, hurdles, future research directions, and challenges have been addressed.

Structure of Vibrio collagenase VhaC provides insight into the mechanism of bacterial collagenolysis

The collagenases of Vibrio species, many of which are pathogens, have been regarded as an important virulence factor. However, there is little information on the structure and collagenolytic mechanism of Vibrio collagenase. Here, we report the crystal structure of the collagenase module (CM) of Vibrio collagenase VhaC and the conformation of VhaC in solution. Structural and biochemical analyses and molecular dynamics studies reveal that triple-helical collagen is initially recognized by the activator domain, followed by subsequent cleavage by the peptidase domain along with the closing movement of CM. This is different from the peptidolytic mode or the proposed collagenolysis of Clostridium collagenase. We propose a model for the integrated collagenolytic mechanism of VhaC, integrating the functions of VhaC accessory domains and its collagen degradation pattern. This study provides insight into the mechanism of bacterial collagenolysis and helps in structure-based drug design targeting of the Vibrio collagenase.

The collagenolytic mechanism of Vibrio collagenase, a virulence factor, remains unclear. Here, the authors report the structure of Vibrio collagenase VhaC and propose the mechanism for collagen recognition and degradation, providing new insight into bacterial collagenolysis.

A Novel Gelatinase from Marine Flocculibacter collagenilyticus SM1988: Characterization and Potential Application in Collagen Oligopeptide-Rich Hydrolysate Preparation

Although the S8 family in the MEROPS database contains many peptidases, only a few S8 peptidases have been applied in the preparation of bioactive oligopeptides. Bovine bone collagen is a good source for preparing collagen oligopeptides, but has been so far rarely applied in collagen peptide preparation. Here, we characterized a novel S8 gelatinase, Aa2_1884, from marine bacterium Flocculibacter collagenilyticus SM1988^T, and evaluated its potential application in the preparation of collagen oligopeptides from bovine bone collagen. Aa2_1884 is a multimodular S8 peptidase with a distinct domain architecture from other reported peptidases. The recombinant Aa2_1884 over-expressed in Escherichia coli showed high activity toward gelatin and denatured collagens, but no activity toward natural collagens, indicating that Aa2_1884 is a gelatinase. To evaluate the potential of Aa2_1884 in the preparation of collagen oligopeptides from bovine bone collagen, three enzymatic hydrolysis parameters, hydrolysis temperature, hydrolysis time and enzyme-substrate ratio (E/S), were optimized by single factor experiments, and the optimal hydrolysis conditions were determined to be reaction at 60 ℃ for 3 h with an E/S of 400 U/g. Under these conditions, the hydrolysis efficiency of bovine bone collagen by Aa2_1884 reached 95.3%. The resultant hydrolysate contained 97.8% peptides, in which peptides with a molecular weight lower than 1000 Da and 500 Da accounted for 55.1% and 39.5%, respectively, indicating that the hydrolysate was rich in oligopeptides. These results indicate that Aa2_1884 likely has a promising potential application in the preparation of collagen oligopeptide-rich hydrolysate from bovine bone collagen, which may provide a feasible way for the high-value utilization of bovine bone collagen.

Potential of Thermolysin-like Protease A69 in Preparation of Bovine Collagen Peptides with Moisture-Retention Ability and Antioxidative Activity

Bovine bone is rich in collagen and is a good material for collagen peptide preparation. Although thermolysin-like proteases (TLPs) have been applied in different fields, the potential of TLPs in preparing bioactive collagen peptides has rarely been evaluated. Here, we characterized a thermophilic TLP, A69, from a hydrothermal bacterium Anoxybacillus caldiproteolyticus 1A02591, and evaluated its potential in preparing bioactive collagen peptides. A69 showed the highest activity at 60 °C and pH 7.0. We optimized the conditions for bovine bone collagen hydrolysis and set up a process with high hydrolysis efficiency (99.4%) to prepare bovine bone collagen peptides, in which bovine bone collagen was hydrolyzed at 60 °C for 2 h with an enzyme-substrate ratio of 25 U/g. The hydrolysate contained 96.5% peptides that have a broad molecular weight distribution below 10000 Da. The hydrolysate showed good moisture-retention ability and a high hydroxyl radical (•OH) scavenging ratio of 73.2%, suggesting that the prepared collagen peptides have good antioxidative activity. Altogether, these results indicate that the thermophilic TLP A69 has promising potential in the preparation of bioactive collagen peptides, which may have potentials in cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical industries. This study lays a foundation for the high-valued utilization of bovine bone collagen.

Chemical Characterization of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Collagen Hydrolyzed Using Enzyme Preparation Derived from Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) and Its Potential as a Core Component of Bacterial Culture Medium

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) processing wastes are massive and unutilized in the Murmansk region of Russia. The samples of skin-containing waste of Atlantic cod fillets production were hydrolyzed using enzyme preparations derived from red king crab hepatopancreases, porcine pancreases, and Bacillus subtilis bacteria. The activity of enzymes from crab hepatopancreases was significantly higher than the activity of enzymes derived from other sources. The optimal conditions of the hydrolysis process have been figured out. The samples of cod processing waste hydrolysate were analyzed for amino acid composition and molecular weight distribution. The samples of hydrolysate were used as core components for bacterial culture medium samples. The efficiency of the medium samples was tested for Escherichia coli growth rate; the most efficient sample had an efficiency of 95.3% of that of a commercially available medium based on fish meal. Substitution of medium components with those derived from industrial by-products is one of the ways to decrease a cost of a culture medium in biopharmaceutical drug production.

Taxonomic and Enzymatic Characterization of Flocculibacter collagenilyticus gen. nov., sp. nov., a Novel Gammaproteobacterium With High Collagenase Production

Collagens from marine animals are an important component of marine organic nitrogen. Collagenase-producing bacteria and their collagenases play important roles in collagen degradation and organic nitrogen recycling in the ocean. However, only a few collagenase-producing marine bacteria have been so far discovered. Here, we reported the isolation and characterization of a collagenase-secreting bacterium, designated strain SM1988^T, isolated from a green alga Codium fragile sample. Strain SM1988^T is a Gram-negative, aerobic, oxidase-, and catalase-positive, unipolar flagellated, and rod-shaped bacterium capable of hydrolyzing casein, gelatin and collagens. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain SM1988^T formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage along with known genera within the family Pseudoalteromonadaceae, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity being less than 93.3% to all known species in the family. Based on the phylogenetic, genomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic data, strain SM1988^T was considered to represent a novel species in a novel genus in the family Pseudoalteromonadaceae, for which the name Flocculibacter collagenilyticus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain being SM1988^T (= MCCC 1K04279^T = KCTC 72761^T). Strain SM1988^T showed a high production of extracellular collagenases, which had high activity against both bovine collagen and codfish collagen. Biochemical tests combined with genome and secretome analyses indicated that the collagenases secreted by strain SM1988^T are serine proteases from the MEROPS S8 family. These data suggest that strain SM1988^T acts as an important player in marine collagen degradation and recycling and may have a promising potential in collagen resource utilization.

Fish Waste: From Problem to Valuable Resource

Following the growth of the global population and the subsequent rapid increase in urbanization and industrialization, the fisheries and aquaculture production has seen a massive increase driven mainly by the development of fishing technologies. Accordingly, a remarkable increase in the amount of fish waste has been produced around the world; it has been estimated that about two-thirds of the total amount of fish is discarded as waste, creating huge economic and environmental concerns. For this reason, the disposal and recycling of these wastes has become a key issue to be resolved. With the growing attention of the circular economy, the exploitation of underused or discarded marine material can represent a sustainable strategy for the realization of a circular bioeconomy, with the production of materials with high added value. In this study, we underline the enormous role that fish waste can have in the socio-economic sector. This review presents the different compounds with high commercial value obtained by fish byproducts, including collagen, enzymes, and bioactive peptides, and lists their possible applications in different fields.

Characterization of a New M4 Metalloprotease With Collagen-Swelling Ability From Marine Vibrio pomeroyi Strain 12613

The ocean harbors a variety of bacteria that contain huge protease resources and offer a great potential for industrial and biotechnological applications. Here, we isolated a protease-secreting bacterium Vibrio pomeroyi strain 12613 from Atlantic seawater and purified a protease VP9 from strain 12613. VP9 was identified as a metalloprotease of the M4 family. VP9 could hydrolyze casein and gelatin but not elastin and collagen. With gelatin as the substrate, VP9 showed the highest activity at 40°C and pH 6.0–8.0. It was stable at temperatures of 50°C and less and in the range of pH 5.0–11.0. VP9 also had good tolerance to NaCl, non-ionic detergents, and organic solvent methanol. Unlike other M4 metalloproteases, VP9 has distinct collagen-swelling ability, and its collagen-swelling effect was concentration dependent. The relative expansion volume of collagen increased by approximately eightfold after treatment with 10 μM VP9 at 37°C for 12 h. The collagen-swelling mechanism of VP9 on bovine-insoluble type I collagen was further studied. Atomic force microscopy observation and biochemical analyses showed that VP9 can degrade proteoglycans in collagen fibers, resulting in the release of collagen fibrils from collagen fibers and the swelling of the latter. In addition, VP9 can degrade glycoproteins, a non-collagenous constituent interacting with collagen in the skin. The characteristics of VP9, such as sufficient specificity toward proteoglycans and glycoproteins but no activity toward collagen, suggest its promising potential in the unhairing and fiber-opening processing in leather industry.

Protein Recovery from Underutilised Marine Bioresources for Product Development with Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Bioactivities

The global demand for dietary proteins and protein-derived products are projected to dramatically increase which cannot be met using traditional protein sources. Seafood processing by-products (SPBs) and microalgae are promising resources that can fill the demand gap for proteins and protein derivatives. Globally, 32 million tonnes of SPBs are estimated to be produced annually which represents an inexpensive resource for protein recovery while technical advantages in microalgal biomass production would yield secure protein supplies with minimal competition for arable land and freshwater resources. Moreover, these biomaterials are a rich source of proteins with high nutritional quality while protein hydrolysates and biopeptides derived from these marine proteins possess several useful bioactivities for commercial applications in multiple industries. Efficient utilisation of these marine biomaterials for protein recovery would not only supplement global demand and save natural bioresources but would also successfully address the financial and environmental burdens of biowaste, paving the way for greener production and a circular economy. This comprehensive review analyses the potential of using SPBs and microalgae for protein recovery and production critically assessing the feasibility of current and emerging technologies used for the process development. Nutritional quality, functionalities, and bioactivities of the extracted proteins and derived products together with their potential applications for commercial product development are also systematically summarised and discussed.

Marine Collagen from Alternative and Sustainable Sources: Extraction, Processing and Applications

Due to its unique properties, collagen is used in the growing fields of pharmaceutical and biomedical devices, as well as in the fields of nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, food and beverages. Collagen also represents a valid resource for bioplastics and biomaterials, to be used in the emerging health sectors. Recently, marine organisms have been considered as promising sources of collagen, because they do not harbor transmissible disease. In particular, fish biomass as well as by-catch organisms, such as undersized fish, jellyfish, sharks, starfish, and sponges, possess a very high collagen content. The use of discarded and underused biomass could contribute to the development of a sustainable process for collagen extraction, with a significantly reduced environmental impact. This addresses the European zero-waste strategy, which supports all three generally accepted goals of sustainability: sustainable economic well-being, environmental protection, and social well-being. A zero-waste strategy would use far fewer new raw materials and send no waste materials to landfills. In this review, we present an overview of the studies carried out on collagen obtained from by-catch organisms and fish wastes. Additionally, we discuss novel technologies based on thermoplastic processes that could be applied, likewise, as marine collagen treatment.

Purification, Characterization, and Application for Preparation of Antioxidant Peptides of Extracellular Protease from Pseudoalteromonas sp. H2

The study reported on the isolation of a metalloprotease named EH2 from Pseudoalteromonas sp. H2. EH2 maintained more than 80% activity over a wide pH range of 5–10, and the stability was also nearly independent of pH. Over 65% activity was detected at a wide temperature range of 20–70 °C. The high stability of the protease in the presence of different surfactants and oxidizing agents was also observed. Moreover, we also investigated the antioxidant activities of the hydrolysates generated from porcine and salmon skin collagen by EH2. The results showed that salmon skin collagen hydrolysates demonstrated higher DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) (42.88% ± 1.85) and hydroxyl radical (61.83% ± 3.05) scavenging activity than porcine skin collagen. For oxygen radical absorbance capacity, the hydrolysates from porcine skin collagen had higher efficiency (7.72 ± 0.13 μmol·TE/μmol). Even 1 nM mixed peptides could effectively reduce the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The two types of substrates exerted the best antioxidant activity when hydrolyzed for 3 h. The hydrolysis time and type of substrate exerted important effects on the antioxidant properties of hydrolysates. The hydrolyzed peptides from meat collagens by proteases have good antioxidant activity, which may have implications for the potential application of marine proteases in the biocatalysis industry.

Preparation of low-molecular-weight, collagen hydrolysates (peptides): Current progress, challenges, and future perspectives

Collagen hydrolysates (peptides) derived from food processing byproducts have been used to produce commercially valuable food ingredients due to their potential to trigger certain desirable physiological responses in the body. Low-molecular-weight (LMW) collagen hydrolysates are generally thought to exert better bioactivities than their larger counterparts. However, the preparation of LMW collagen hydrolysates is often impeded by their special structure, cross-linking, and hydroxyproline. This review briefly introduces the motivation of the food industry to prepare LMW collagen hydrolysate from food processing byproducts. We further summarize recent progress on the preparation of LMW collagen hydrolysates and methods to determine the molecular weight. We then discuss the challenges and then provide perspectives on future directions in preparing LMW collagen hydrolysates.

Determination of Peptide Profile Consistency and Safety of Collagen Hydrolysates as Quality Attributes

Abstract

Collagen hydrolysates are dietary supplements used for nutritional and medical purposes. They are complex mixtures of low‐molecular‐weight peptides obtained from the enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen, which provide intrinsic batch‐to‐batch heterogeneity. In consequence, the quality of these products, which is related to the reproducibility of their mass distribution pattern, should be addressed. Here, we propose an analytical approach to determine the peptide pattern as a quality attribute of Colagenart®, a product containing collagen hydrolysate. In addition, we evaluated the safety by measuring the viability of two cell lines exposed to the product. The consistency of peptide distribution was determined using Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Mass Spectrometry coupled to a reversed phase UPLC system (MS‐RP‐UPLC), and Shaped‐pulse off‐resonance water‐presaturation proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry [¹Hwater_presat NMR]. The mass distribution pattern determined by SEC was in a range from 1.35 to 17 kDa, and from 2 to 14 kDa by MS‐RP‐UPLC. [¹Hwater_presat NMR] showed the detailed spin‐systems of the collagen hydrolysates components by global assignment of backbone Hα and NH, as well as side‐chain proton resonances. Additionally, short‐range intraresidue connectivity pathways of identified spin‐regions were obtained by a 2D homonuclear shift correlation Shaped‐pulse solvent suppression COSY scheme. Safety analysis of Colagenart® was evaluated in CaCo‐2 and HepG2 cells at 2.5 and 25 μg/mL and no negative effects were observed. The results demonstrated batch‐to‐batch reproducibility, which evinces the utility of this approach to establish the consistency of the quality attributes of collagen hydrolysates.

Practical Application

We propose state‐of‐the art analytical methodologies (SEC, MS, and NMR) to evaluate peptide profile and composition of collagen hydrolysates as quality attributes. These methodologies are suitable to be implemented for quality control purposes.

Evaluation of collagen mixture on promoting skin wound healing in zebrafish caused by acetic acid administration

The aim of this study is to use zebrafish embryos as a quick platform for wound healing studies. At beginning, we optimized a protocol to induce skin lesion by acetic acid injection. The acetic acid injection induced regional inflammation wound hyperpigmentation by recruiting pigment cells to the wound area. Later, we applied established platform to evaluate the effect of tilapia's collagen peptide mixtures, including demonstration on promoting skin wound healing and eliminating inflammatory response. Results showed that after treating TY001, one of the above fish collagen peptide mixtures, not only repair and proliferation were induced, but also death and apoptosis cells were cleared within cutaneous lesion. Moreover, inflammatory response was suppressed along with collagen mixture treatment. Finally, the TY001-associated signaling was validated by real time-PCR, and numbers of gene associated with tissue repair and vessel proliferation were induced. To sum up, our findings provided a permissive model that may apply to generate a platform for further screening on repair and restoration technology. In addition, the tilapia fish collagen peptide mixture we applied on our model has great potential on developing clinical application on wound healing.