Antidiabetic Effects of a Short Peptide of Potato Protein Hydrolysate in STZ-Induced Diabetic Mice.

Alcalase- generated potato protein hydrolysate (APPH) is a potential bioactive peptide against diabetes mellitus (DM) and DM-associated secondary effects in animal models. The aim of the present study was to find the efficiency of a deca-peptide DIKTNKPVIF (DF) from APPH against DM. Six-week-old male ICR mice were divided into the following groups: Control, Control+DF (received 50 mg/kg DF), streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM group, DM+Acarbose group (20 mg/kg of acarbose), DM+DF-L (25 mg/kg of DF), DM+DF-H (50 mg/kg of DF), and DM+APPH (50 mg/kg of APPH). Comparable to APPH, treatment with DF effectively regulated blood glucose level and also controlled plasma total glycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC), insulin, and HbA1c levels in DM animals. DF treatment also showed evidence of ameliorating DM-associated damages in the pancreatic islets and in the liver, heart, and kidney tissues. Therefore, the results demonstrate that the short synthetic peptide-DF may effectively provide protection against DM-associated damages.

Anti-hypertrophic and anti-apoptotic effects of short peptides of potato protein hydrolysate against hyperglycemic condition in cardiomyoblast cells.

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a critical pathological phenomenon observed in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Various molecular events including the Calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T-cell (NFAT) mediated signaling contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy. While different new therapeutic interventions are investigated in order to overcome pathological hypertrophic effects, recent studies on peptide hydrolysates from common foods have gained interest. In this study the cytoprotective efficiency of two short peptides DIKTNKPVIF (DF) and a dipeptide IF from a potato protein hydrolysate were evaluated for their anti-hypertrophic effects against high glucose (HG) challenge. Murine cardio myoblast (H9c2) cells were challenges with 33 mM of glucose and after 1 h were treated with DF or IF for 24 h. The results showed enlargement in cell size, elevated ANP and BNP expression induced by HG however the abnormalities were efficiently attenuated by IF and DF. Further, HG increased the levels of calcineurin and NFATC3 which was markedly suppressed by DF and IF in H9c2 cells. The results further showed that DF and IF suppresses the activation of p38 in a dose dependent manner with no notable effects on JNK activation. DF and IF also attenuated the HG induced apoptotic effects in H9c2 cells by suppressing the apoptotic proteins and by enhancing the survival and anti-apoptotic proteins. Further, it should be noted that administration of both the fragments showed similar effects in all the analysis. Our results therefore showed that DF and IF of potato protein hydrolysate possess efficient protective effects against HG-induced cardiomyocyte damages by ameliorating the apoptotic and hypertrophic effects.

Pharmacological benefits of neferine - A comprehensive review.

This article recapitulates the existing in vitro and in vivo studies focusing on the effects of neferine-an alkaloid derivative of lotus plant, in various disease models and its effects on key signaling molecules. The review also compiles a large number of research studies that demonstrate methods for isolation and extraction, biosynthetic pathway, pharmacological activity and mode of action of neferine and their underlying mechanisms at cellular level. Neferine is a unique bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid that possesses a number of therapeutic effects such as anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-aging, anti-microbial, anti-thrombotic, anti-arrhythmic, anti-inflammatory and even anti-HIV. It also enhances the anti-cancer properties of other anti-cancer drugs like cisplatin, adriamycin, taxol, etc. It is also reported to reverse chemo-resistance and enhance sensitivity of the cancer cells towards anti-cancer drugs. The underlying mechanisms for its activities mainly include apoptosis, autophagy and G1 arrest. Neferine protects them against the effect of drugs like cisplatin. The therapeutic properties of neferine is widely diverse, while it shows toxicity to cancer it also shows cyto-protective effects against cardio-vascular diseases, pulmonary disease, and is also effective against Alzheimer's disease and elicits anti-oxidative effect in many cellular systems. This article thus is the first ever attempt to review the therapeutic activities of neferine established in in vitro and in vivo models and to compile all the fragmented data available on the omnipotent activities of neferine.

Lipolysis-Stimulating Peptide from Soybean Protects Against High Fat Diet-Induced Apoptosis in Skeletal Muscles.

Obesity is generally associated with low-grade chronic inflammation that involves the recruitment of macrophages and other inflammation factors to the adipocytes of obese individuals. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a cytokine associated with systemic inflammation, is elevated in conditions of obesity. TNF-α is an important factor that plays an important role in skeletal muscle wasting. Apoptosis of myonuclei contributes to the loss of muscle mass and therefore plays an important role in skeletal muscle atrophy. In mouse models that were fed a high fat diet (HFD), a lipolysis-stimulating peptide-VHVV (purified from hydrolysate resulting from flavourzyme treatment of soy protein) was found to reduce HFD-related apoptotic effects in mice skeletal muscle and potentially control atrophy. HFD fed mice had heavier body weight than those fed with normal chow, and VHVV administration restricted lipid accumulation in muscle tissues of mice fed with HFD but increased nutrient uptake. Moreover, specific concentrations of VHVV regulated TNF-α expression that was elevated by HFD, suppressed apoptosis-related proteins and regulated the proteins of lipid metabolism.