Characterization of Umami Dry-Cured Ham-Derived Dipeptide Interaction with Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor (mGluR) by Molecular Docking Simulation

Comparison of the taste mechanisms of umami and bitter peptides from fermented mandarin fish (Chouguiyu) based on molecular docking and electronic tongue technology

Unclear taste mechanisms of peptides limit rapid screening of taste peptides with high intensity. In this study, the taste mechanisms of umami and bitter peptides from Chouguiyu were compared. After molecular docking of core umami (NWDDMEK, WFKDEEF, EEEKPKF, DFDDIQK, and DGEKVDF) and bitter (VQDVLKL, VELLKLE, LVVDGVK, VVDLTVR, and VVDGVKL) peptides with T1R1/T1R3 and TASR14, respectively, salt bridges and conventional hydrogen bonds were the main interactions in all taste peptides, in which acidic amino acid residues contributed to the interaction with their receptors. The taste intensity of peptides after solid-phase synthesis was further verified using electronic tongue technology. Spearman correlation analysis showed that docking energy was an important factor for the intensity of taste peptides, while interaction energy and the distance between the binding unit (BU) and the stimulating unit (SU) were also responsible for the bitter intensity. This study provides a theoretical basis to screen novel taste peptides with high taste intensity in fermented foods.

Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis on potential molecular targets and mechanism of action of BRAF inhibitors for application in wound healing

Topical application of BRAF inhibitors has been shown to accelerate wound healing in murine models, which can be extrapolated into clinical applications. The aim of the study was to identify suitable pharmacological targets of BRAF inhibitors and elucidate their mechanisms of action for therapeutic applicability in wound healing, by employing bioinformatics tools including network pharmacology and molecular docking. The potential targets for BRAF inhibitors were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction, DrugBank, CTD, Therapeutic Target Database, and Binding Database. Targets of wound healing were obtained using online databases DisGeNET and OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man). Common targets were found by using the online GeneVenn tool. Common targets were then imported to STRING to construct interaction networks. Topological parameters were assessed using Cytoscape and core targets were identified. FunRich was employed to uncover the signaling pathways, cellular components, molecular functions, and biological processes in which the core targets participate. Finally, molecular docking was performed using MOE software. Key targets for the therapeutic application of BRAF inhibitors for wound healing are peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, matrix metalloproteinase 9, AKT serine/threonine kinase 1, mammalian target of rapamycin, and Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog. The most potent BRAF inhibitors that can be exploited for their paradoxical activity for wound healing applications are Encorafenib and Dabrafenib. By using network pharmacology and molecular docking, it can be predicted that the paradoxical activity of BRAF inhibitors can be used for their potential application in wound healing.

Bioactive and Sensory Di- and Tripeptides Generated during Dry-Curing of Pork Meat

Dry-cured pork products, such as dry-cured ham, undergo an extensive proteolysis during manufacturing process which determines the organoleptic properties of the final product. As a result of endogenous pork muscle endo- and exopeptidases, many medium- and short-chain peptides are released from muscle proteins. Many of them have been isolated, identified, and characterized, and some peptides have been reported to exert relevant bioactivity with potential benefit for human health. However, little attention has been given to di- and tripeptides, which are far less known, although they have received increasing attention in recent years due to their high potential relevance in terms of bioactivity and role in taste development. This review gathers the current knowledge about di- and tripeptides, regarding their bioactivity and sensory properties and focusing on their generation during long-term processing such as dry-cured pork meats.