Oxidative Stability of Fish Oil-Loaded Nanocapsules Produced by Electrospraying Using Kafirin or Zein Proteins as Wall Materials.

The encapsulation of fish oil by monoaxial electrospraying using kafirin or zein proteins as hydrophobic wall materials was investigated. Kafirin resulted in spherical fish oil-loaded nanocapsules (>50% of capsules below 1 µm), whereas zein led to fish oil-loaded nanocapsules with non-spherical morphology (>80% of capsules below 1 µm). Both hydrophobic encapsulating materials interacted with fish oil, successfully entrapping the oil within the protein matrix as indicated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy results. FTIR also suggested hydrogen bonding between fish oil and the proteins. Trapped radicals in the encapsulation matrix that were detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), indicated oxidation during electrospraying and storage. Results from isothermal (140 °C) differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) denoted that the encapsulation of fish oil by electrospraying using both kafirin or zein as wall materials protected fish oil from oxidation. In particular, the zein-based nanocapsules were 3.3 times more oxidatively stable than the kafirin-based nanocapsules, which correlates with the higher oil encapsulation efficiency found for zein-based capsules. Thus, this study shows that kafirin might be considered a hydrophobic wall material for the encapsulation of fish oil by electrospraying, although it prevented lipid oxidation to a lower extent when compared to zein.

Influence of InVitro Digestion on Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) Inhibitory Activity of Plant-Protein Hydrolysates Obtained from Agro-Industrial By-Products.

This study investigates the production of protein hydrolysates with dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory activity from agro-industrial by-products, namely olive seed, sunflower seed, rapeseed, and lupin meals, as well as from two plant protein isolates such as pea and potato. Furthermore, the effect of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on the DPP-IV inhibitory activity of all the hydrolysates was evaluated. Overall, the lowest values of IC50 (1.02 ± 0.09 - 1.24 ± 0.19 mg protein/mL) were observed for the hydrolysates with a high proportion of short-chain [< 1 kDa] peptides (i.e., olive seed, sunflower seed, and lupin) or high content of proline (i.e., rapeseed). Contrarily, the IC50 of the pea and potato hydrolysates was significantly higher (1.50 ± 0.13 - 1.93 ± 0.13 mg protein/mL). In vitro digestion led to an increase in peptides <1 kDa for almost all hydrolysates (except olive and sunflower seed meals), which was noticeable for rapeseed, pea, and potato hydrolysates. Digestion did not significantly modify the DPP-IV inhibitory activity of olive, sunflower, rapeseed, and potato hydrolysates, whereas a significant decrease in IC50 value was obtained for pea hydrolysate and a significant increase in IC50 was obtained for lupin hydrolysate. Thus, this work shows the potential of agro-industrial by-products for the production of protein hydrolysates exhibiting DPP-IV inhibition.

Volumetric brain reductions in adult patients with phenylketonuria and their relationship with blood phenylalanine levels.

BACKGROUND: Continued dietary treatment since early diagnosis through newborn screening programs usually prevents brain-related complications in phenylketonuria (PKU). However, subtle neurocognitive and brain alterations may be observed in some adult patients despite early treatment. Nevertheless, neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies in the field remain scarce. OBJECTIVES: This work aimed to determine possible neuropsychological and structural brain alterations in treated adult patients with PKU. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with PKU and 22 healthy controls (HC) underwent neuropsychological assessment and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging on a 3 T scanner. FreeSurfer (v.7.1) was used to obtain volumetric measures and SPSS (v27.0.1.0) was used to analyze sociodemographic, neuropsychological, volumetric, and clinical data (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Adult patients with PKU showed significantly lower performance than HC in Full Scale IQ (t = 2.67; p = .010) from the WAIS-IV. The PKU group also showed significantly lower volumes than HC in the pallidum (U = 224.000; p = .008), hippocampus (U = 243.000; p = .020), amygdala (U = 200.000; p = .002), and brainstem (t = 3.17; p = .006) as well as in total cerebral white matter volume (U = 175.000; p = .001). Blood phenylalanine (Phe) levels in PKU patients were negatively correlated with the pallidum (r = -0.417; p = .013) and brainstem (r = -0.455, p = .006) volumes. CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients with early-treated PKU showed significantly lower global intelligence than HC. Moreover, these patients showed reduced global white matter volume as well as reductions in the volume of several subcortical grey matter structures, which might be related to the existence of underlying neurodevelopmental alterations. Higher blood Phe levels were also negatively correlated with pallidum and brainstem, suggesting a higher vulnerability of these structures to Phe toxicity.

Encapsulation of Tenebrio molitor Hydrolysate with DPP-IV Inhibitory Activity by Electrospraying and Spray-Drying.

This study investigates the encapsulation of Tenebrio molitor hydrolysate exhibiting DPP-IV inhibitory activity by spray-drying and electrospraying techniques. First, we optimized the feed formulation and processing conditions required to obtain nano-microcapsules by electrospraying when using Arabic gum as an encapsulating agent and pullulan and Tween 20 as additives. The optimum formulation was also dried by spray-drying, where the removal of the additives was also assayed. Morphology analysis reveals that electrosprayed capsules have a smaller size (1.2 ± 0.5 µm vs. 12.4 ± 8.7 µm) and greater uniformity compared to those obtained by spray-drying. Regarding the surface nitrogen content and DPP-IV inhibitory activity, our results show no significant difference between the electrosprayed capsules and spray-dried capsules containing additives (IC50 of ~1.5 mg protein/mL). Therefore, it was concluded that adding additives during spray-drying allows for a similar encapsulation efficiency and reduced degradation during processing, as achieved by electrospraying technique but providing higher productivity. On the other hand, spray-dried capsules without additives displayed a higher surface nitrogen content percentage, which was mainly due to the absence of Tween 20 in the feed formulation. Consequently, these capsules presented a higher IC50 value (IC50 of 1.99 ± 0.03 mg protein/mL) due to the potential degradation of surface-exposed peptides.

Comparison of Emotional Processing Between Patients with Substance Use Disorder and Those with Dual Diagnosis: Relationship with Severity of Dependence and Use During Treatment.

This study analyzed, in a Spanish sample, the differences in emotional processing in patients diagnosed with substance use disorder (SUD) and patients with a dual diagnosis (DD), and tested whether alterations in emotional regulation were related to the severity of dependence and consumption during treatment. A descriptive follow-up study was conducted with 88 adult outpatients (83% men) who were receiving treatment for alcohol and cocaine SUD. Of the sample, 43.2% presented dual diagnosis according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Emotional processing was assessed with the IAPS, and dependence severity with the SDSS. Consumption was determined with self-reports and toxicological tests. Regression analyses revealed that the DD group had more difficulties in identifying the valence and arousal of the images than patients with SUD. Patients with DD presented more difficulty in identifying images in which valence was manipulated, but not in those in which arousal was manipulated. Cocaine use during treatment was associated with difficulties in identifying unpleasant (U = 734.0; p < .05) and arousing (U = 723.5; p < .05) images. Although these results are preliminary, findings suggest that impaired emotional processing is aggravated in dual patients, although it may be a common transdiagnostic factor in SUD and other comorbid mental disorders. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating emotional regulation to better understand its possible role in the maintenance of substance use.

Noise analysis in direct detection and coherent detection phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry systems.

This study compares noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in direct detection and coherent detection fiber-based distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) systems. Both detection schemes employ the dynamic analysis of Rayleigh-backscattered light in phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (ΦOTDR) systems. Through theoretical and experimental analysis, it is determined that for photodetection filters with a sufficiently narrow bandwidth, the SNR performance of both detection schemes is comparable. However, for filters with poor selectivity, coherent detection was found to exhibit superior performance. These findings provide crucial guidelines for the design of high-performance time-domain DAS systems.

Physical and Oxidative Stability of Emulsions Stabilized with Fractionated Potato Protein Hydrolysates Obtained from Starch Production Side Stream.

This work studies the emulsifying and antioxidant properties of potato protein hydrolysates (PPHs) fractions obtained through enzymatic hydrolysis of potato protein using trypsin followed by ultrafiltration. Unfractionated (PPH1) and fractionated (PPH2 as >10 kDa, PPH3 as 10-5 kDa, PPH4 as 5-0.8 kDa, and PPH5 as <0.8 kDa) protein hydrolysates were evaluated. Pendant drop tensiometry and dilatational rheology were applied for determining the ability of PPHs to reduce interfacial tension and affect the viscoelasticity of the interfacial films at the oil-water interface. Peptides >10 kDa showed the highest ability to decrease oil-water interfacial tension. All PPH fractions predominantly provided elastic, weak, and easily stretchable interfaces. PPH2 provided a more rigid interfacial layer than the other hydrolysates. Radical scavenging and metal chelating activities of PPHs were also tested and the highest activities were provided by the unfractionated hydrolysate and the fractions with peptides >5 kDa. Furthermore, the ability of PPHs to form physically and oxidatively stable 5% fish oil-in-water emulsions (pH 7) was investigated during 8-day storage at 20 °C. Our results generally show that the fractions with peptides >5 kDa provided the highest physicochemical stability, followed by the fraction with peptides between 5 and 0.8 kDa. Lastly, promising sensory results with mostly mild attributes were obtained even at protein concentration levels that are higher than needed to obtain functional properties. The more prominent attributes (e.g., bitterness and astringency) were within an acceptable range for PPH3 and PPH4.

Impact of supplementation with dihydroxylated vitamin D3 on performance parameters and gut health in weaned Iberian piglets under indoor/outdoor conditions.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D may improve innate antimicrobial response and the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier representing an alternative to antibiotics for improving pig health. Therefore, benefits of dietary supplementation with a product based on vitamin D3 metabolite-rich plant extracts were assessed in 252 purebred Iberian piglets for a period of 60 days. The study group received 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) (100 ppm) in the conventional feed, which already included vitamin D (2000 IU in the starter and 1000 IU in the adaptation diets, respectively). Average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and coefficient of variation of body weight (CV-BW) were assessed along the study. Blood samples, from 18 animals of the study group and 14 animals of the control group, were collected at selected time points to determine white blood cell count, concentration of vitamin D3 and its metabolites, and IgA and IgG in serum. Histopathology, morphometry, and immunohistochemistry (IgA and FoxP3) from small intestine samples were performed on days 30 and 60 of the study from 3 animals per group and time point. RESULTS: The ADG (493 vs 444 g/day) and FCR (2.3 vs 3.02) showed an improved performance in the supplemented animals. Moreover, the lower CV-BW indicated a greater homogeneity in the treated batches (13.17 vs 26.23%). Furthermore, a mild increase of IgA and in the number of regulatory T cells in the small intestine were observed in treated pigs. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the benefits of this supplementation and encourage to develop further studies along other production stages.

Antioxidant peptides from alternative sources reduce lipid oxidation in 5% fish oil-in-water emulsions (pH 4) and fish oil-enriched mayonnaise.

Bioinformatics tools were used to predict radical scavenging and metal chelating activities of peptides derived from abundant potato, seaweed, microbial, and spinach proteins. The antioxidant activity was evaluated in 5% oil-in-water emulsions (pH4) and best-performing peptides were tested in mayonnaise and compared with EDTA. Emulsion physical stability was intact. The peptide DDDNLVLPEVYDQD showed the highest protection against oxidation in both emulsions by retarding the formation of oxidation products and depletion of tocopherols during storage, but it was less efficient than EDTA when evaluated in mayonnaise. In low-fat emulsions, formation of hydroperoxides was reduced 4-folds after 5 days compared to control. The concentration effect of the peptide was confirmed in mayonnaise at the EDTA equimolar concentration. The second-best performing peptides were NNKWVPCLEFETEHGFVYREHH in emulsion and AGDWLIGDR in mayonnaise. In general, the peptide efficacy was higher in low-fat emulsions. Results demonstrated that peptide negative net charge was important for chelating activity.

Encapsulation of Bioactive Peptides by Spray-Drying and Electrospraying.

Bioactive peptides derived from enzymatic hydrolysis are gaining attention for the production of supplements, pharmaceutical compounds, and functional foods. However, their inclusion in oral delivery systems is constrained by their high susceptibility to degradation during human gastrointestinal digestion. Encapsulating techniques can be used to stabilize functional ingredients, helping to maintain their activity after processing, storage, and digestion, thus improving their bioaccessibility. Monoaxial spray-drying and electrospraying are common and economical techniques used for the encapsulation of nutrients and bioactive compounds in both the pharmaceutical and food industries. Although less studied, the coaxial configuration of both techniques could potentially improve the stabilization of protein-based bioactives via the formation of shell-core structures. This article reviews the application of these techniques, both monoaxial and coaxial configurations, for the encapsulation of bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates, focusing on the factors affecting the properties of the encapsulates, such as the formulation of the feed solution, selection of carrier and solvent, as well as the processing conditions used. Furthermore, this review covers the release, retention of bioactivity, and stability of peptide-loaded encapsulates after processing and digestion.

Evaluation of the Physical and Oxidative Stabilities of Fish Oil-in-Water-in-Olive Oil Double Emulsions (O1/W/O2) Stabilized with Whey Protein Hydrolysate.

This work studied the physical and oxidative stabilities of fish oil-in-water-in-olive oil double emulsions (O1/W/O2), where whey protein hydrolysate was used as a hydrophilic emulsifier. A 20 wt.% fish oil-in-water emulsion, stabilized with whey protein hydrolysate (oil: protein ratio of 5:2 w/w) and with a zeta potential of ~-40 mV, only slightly increased its D4,3 value during storage at 8 °C for seven days (from 0.725 to 0.897 µm), although it showed severe physical destabilization when stored at 25 °C for seven days (D4,3 value increased from 0.706 to 9.035 µm). The oxidative stability of the 20 wt.% fish oil-in-water emulsion decreased when the storage temperature increased (25 vs. 8 °C) as indicated by peroxide and p-anisidine values, both in the presence or not of prooxidants (Fe2+). Confocal microscopy images confirmed the formation of 20 wt.% fish oil-in-water-in-olive oil (ratio 25:75 w/w) using Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR, 4 wt.%). Double emulsions were fairly physically stable for 7 days (both at 25 and 8 °C) (Turbiscan stability index, TSI < 4). Moreover, double emulsions had low peroxide (<7 meq O2/kg oil) and p-anisidine (<7) values that did not increase during storage independently of the storage temperature (8 or 25 °C) and the presence or not of prooxidants (Fe2+), which denotes oxidative stability.

Oxidation and oxidative stability in emulsions.

Emulsions are implemented in the fabrication of a wide array of foods and therefore are of great importance in food science. However, the application of emulsions in food production is restricted by two main obstacles, that is, physical and oxidative stability. The former has been comprehensively reviewed somewhere else, but our literature review indicated that there is a prominent ground for reviewing the latter across all kinds of emulsions. Therefore, the present study was formulated in order to review oxidation and oxidative stability in emulsions. In doing so, different measures to render oxidative stability to emulsions are reviewed after introducing lipid oxidation reactions and methods to measure lipid oxidation. These strategies are scrutinized in four main categories, namely storage conditions, emulsifiers, optimization of production methods, and antioxidants. Afterward, oxidation in all types of emulsions, including conventional ones (oil-in-water and water-in-oil) and uncommon emulsions in food production (oil-in-oil), is reviewed. Furthermore, the oxidation and oxidative stability of multiple emulsions, nanoemulsions, and Pickering emulsions are taken into account. Finally, oxidative processes across different parent and food emulsions were explained taking a comparative approach.

Comparative Study on the Oxidative Stability of Encapsulated Fish Oil by Monoaxial or Coaxial Electrospraying and Spray-Drying.

The impact of the encapsulation technology on the oxidative stability of fish-oil-loaded capsules was investigated. The capsules (ca. 13 wt% oil load) were produced via monoaxial or coaxial electrospraying and spray-drying using low molecular weight carbohydrates as encapsulating agents (e.g., glucose syrup or maltodextrin). The use of spray-drying technology resulted in larger capsules with higher encapsulation efficiency (EE > 84%), whilst the use of electrospraying produced encapsulates in the sub-micron scale with poorer retention properties (EE < 72%). The coaxially electrosprayed capsules had the lowest EE values (EE = 53-59%), resulting in the lowest oxidative stability, although the lipid oxidation was significantly reduced by increasing the content of pullulan in the shell solution. The emulsion-based encapsulates (spray-dried and monoaxially electrosprayed capsules) presented high oxidative stability during storage, as confirmed by the low concentration of selected volatiles (e.g., (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal). Nonetheless, the monoaxially electrosprayed capsules were the most oxidized after production due to the emulsification process and the longer processing time.

Peptides and protein hydrolysates exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity: sources, structural features and modulation mechanisms.

Inflammation is the response of the immune system to harmful stimuli such as tissue injury, infection or toxic chemicals, which has the aim of eliminating irritants or pathogenic microorganisms and enhancing tissue repair. Uncontrolled long-lasting acute inflammation can gradually progress to chronic, causing a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases that are usually treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, but most of them are inadequate to control chronic responses and are also associated with adverse side effects. Thus, many efforts are being directed to develop alternative and more selective anti-inflammatory therapies from natural products. One main field of interest is the obtaining of bioactive peptides exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity from sustainable protein sources like edible insects or agroindustry and fishing by-products. This work highlighted the structure-activity relationship of anti-inflammatory peptides. Small peptides with molecular weight under 1 kDa and amino acid chain length between 2 to 20 residues are generally the most active because of the higher probability to be absorbed in the intestine and penetrate into cells when compared with the larger size peptides. The presence of hydrophobic (Val, Ile, Pro) and positively charged (His, Arg, Lys) amino acids is another common occurrence for anti-inflammatory peptides. Interestingly, a high percentage (77%) of these bioactive peptides can be found in alternative sustainable protein sources such as Tenebrio molitor or sunflower, apart from its original protein source. However, not all of these peptides with anti-inflammatory potential in vitro achieve good scores by the in silico bioactivity predictors studied. Therefore, it is essential to implement current bioinformatics tools, in order to complement in vitro experiments with prior prediction of potential bioactive peptides.

Evaluation of Plant Protein Hydrolysates as Natural Antioxidants in Fish Oil-In-Water Emulsions.

In this work, we evaluated the physical and oxidative stabilities of 5% w/w fish oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with 1%wt Tween20 and containing 2 mg/mL of protein hydrolysates from olive seed (OSM-H), sunflower (SFSM-H), rapeseed (RSM-H) and lupin (LUM-H) meals. To this end, the plant-based substrates were hydrolyzed at a 20% degree of hydrolysis (DH) employing a mixture 1:1 of subtilisin: trypsin. The hydrolysates were characterized in terms of molecular weight profile and in vitro antioxidant activities (i.e., DPPH scavenging and ferrous ion chelation). After incorporation of the plant protein hydrolysates as water-soluble antioxidants in the emulsions, a 14-day storage study was conducted to evaluate both the physical (i.e., ζ-potential, droplet size and emulsion stability index) and oxidative (e.g., peroxide and anisidine value) stabilities. The highest in vitro DPPH scavenging and iron (II)-chelating activities were exhibited by SFSM-H (IC50 = 0.05 ± 0.01 mg/mL) and RSM-H (IC50 = 0.41 ± 0.06 mg/mL). All the emulsions were physically stable within the storage period, with ζ-potential values below -35 mV and an average mean diameter D[4,3] of 0.411 ± 0.010 µm. Although LUM-H did not prevent lipid oxidation in emulsions, OSM-H and SFSM-H exhibited a remarkable ability to retard the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products during storage when compared with the control emulsion without antioxidants. Overall, our findings show that plant-based enzymatic hydrolysates are an interesting alternative to be employed as natural antioxidants to retard lipid oxidation in food emulsions.

Cancellation of reference update-induced 1/f noise in a chirped-pulse DAS.

Distributed acoustic sensors (DAS) perform distributed and dynamic strain or temperature change measurements by comparing a measured time-domain trace with a previous fiber reference state. Large strain or temperature fluctuations or laser frequency noise impose the need to update such a reference, making it necessary to integrate the short-term variation measurements if absolute strain or temperature variations are to be obtained. This has the drawback of introducing a 1/f noise component, as noise is integrated with each cumulative variation measurement, which is detrimental to the determination of very slow processes (i.e., in the mHz frequency range or below). This work analyzes the long-term stability of chirped-pulse phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometry (CP-ΦOTDR) with multi-frequency database demodulation (MFDD) to carry out "calibrated" measurements in a DAS along an unmodified SMF. It is shown that, under the conditions studied in this work, a "calibrated" chirped-pulse DAS (CP-DAS) with a completely suppressed reference update-induced 1/f noise component is achieved capable of making measurements over periods of more than 2 months with the same set of references, even when switching off the interrogator during the measurement.

Structure of whey protein hydrolysate used as emulsifier in wet and dried oil delivery systems: Effect of pH and drying processing.

The secondary structure of whey protein concentrate hydrolysate (WPCH), used as an emulsifier in oil delivery systems, was investigated using Synchrotron Radiation Circular Dichroism (SRCD). The effect of pH on the conformation of peptides in solution and adsorbed at the oil/water interface, as well as the thermal stability of the systems was studied. Furthermore, oil-loaded microcapsules were produced by spray-drying or electrospraying to investigate the influence of encapsulating agents (glucose syrup, maltodextrin) and drying technique on the secondary structure of WPCH at the oil/water interface. Enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in peptides with a highly unordered structure (∼60% turns and unordered regions) in solution. However, WPCH adsorption onto the oil/water interface increased the α-helical content resulting in an improved thermal stability. The encapsulating agents and spray-drying process did not modify the conformation of WPCH at the oil/water interface. Nonetheless, electrospraying affected the SRCD spectra obtained for WPCH adsorbed at the oil/water interface.

Influence of emulsifier type and encapsulating agent on the in vitro digestion of fish oil-loaded microcapsules produced by spray-drying.

The influence of the emulsifier type and the encapsulating agent on the bioaccessibility of microencapsulated fish oil was investigated. Fish oil-loaded microcapsules were produced by spray-drying using carbohydrate-based encapsulating agents (glucose syrup or maltodextrin). Whey protein concentrate hydrolysate (WPCH) or Tween 20 (TW20) were used as the emulsifiers. The microcapsules were subjected to a three-phase in vitro digestion (oral, gastric, and intestinal phase) and the changes in the physicochemical properties of the samples were monitored throughout the simulated gastrointestinal tract (oil droplet size, ζ-potential, and microstructure). The lipolysis rate and extent were evaluated at the intestinal digestion phase. Contrary to the encapsulating agent, the emulsifier used in the infeed emulsion formulation significantly influenced lipid digestion. WPCH-based interfacial layer prevented oil droplets coalescence during and after processing more efficiently than TW20, which resulted in an increased specific surface area for lipases to adsorb and thus a higher bioaccessibility of the microencapsulated oil.

Antioxidant peptides derived from potato, seaweed, microbial and spinach proteins: Oxidative stability of 5% fish oil-in-water emulsions.

In this study, we used a combination of quantitative proteomics and bioinformatic prediction for identifying novel antioxidant peptides. Thirty-five peptides from potato, seaweed, microbial, and spinach proteins were investigated. Based on high DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 ≤ 16 mg/mL), metal chelation activity, isoelectric point, and high relative abundance in the parent protein sources, 11 peptides were selected. Lipid oxidation retardation was evaluated in 5% fish oil-in-water emulsions stabilized with Tween 20, where emulsion physical stability was unaffected by peptide addition. The secondary structure of selected peptides was similar in the aqueous solution and emulsions, as confirmed by synchrotron radiation circular dichroism spectroscopy. The emulsions containing the selected peptides had lower levels of hydroperoxides and volatile compounds during storage compared to the control (without peptide). This study contributes to elucidating the effect of antioxidant peptides in emulsions and demonstrates the ability of quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics prediction to identify peptides with strong antioxidant properties.

Emulsifier peptides derived from seaweed, methanotrophic bacteria, and potato proteins identified by quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics.

Global focus on sustainability has accelerated research into alternative non-animal sources of food protein and functional food ingredients. Amphiphilic peptides represent a class of promising biomolecules to replace chemical emulsifiers in food emulsions. In contrast to traditional trial-and-error enzymatic hydrolysis, this study utilizes a bottom-up approach combining quantitative proteomics, bioinformatics prediction, and functional validation to identify novel emulsifier peptides from seaweed, methanotrophic bacteria, and potatoes. In vitro functional validation reveal that all protein sources contained embedded novel emulsifier peptides comparable to or better than sodium caseinate (CAS). Thus, peptides efficiently reduced oil-water interfacial tension and generated physically stable emulsions with higher net zeta potential and smaller droplet sizes than CAS. In silico structure modelling provided further insight on peptide structure and the link to emulsifying potential. This study clearly demonstrates the potential and broad applicability of the bottom-up approach for identification of abundant and potent emulsifier peptides.