Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal
Using a multidisciplinary approach, this paper was designed to prepare, identify, and characterize novel maize antioxidant cyclic peptides from protein hydrolysate of corn gluten meal (CGM). A bioinformatics approach was used to identify the best protease, and the results showed that papain+subtilis...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Hongcheng Liu Tong Sun He Gao Xiaolong Liu Shanshan Zhang Tingting Liu Dawei Wang Hongxiu Fan Yanrong Zhang |
| author_facet | Hongcheng Liu Tong Sun He Gao Xiaolong Liu Shanshan Zhang Tingting Liu Dawei Wang Hongxiu Fan Yanrong Zhang |
| author_sort | Hongcheng Liu |
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| description | Using a multidisciplinary approach, this paper was designed to prepare, identify, and characterize novel maize antioxidant cyclic peptides from protein hydrolysate of corn gluten meal (CGM). A bioinformatics approach was used to identify the best protease, and the results showed that papain+subtilisin was most likely to produce antioxidant cyclic peptides. The result of the enzymatic hydrolysis validation experiment showed that hydrolysate by papain+subtilisin yielded the highest concentration of cyclic peptide (67.14 ± 1.88%) and remarkable DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging rates (81.06 ± 2.23%, 82.82 ± 1.83%, and 47.44 ± 2.43%, respectively) compared to other hydrolysates. Eleven antioxidant cyclic peptides were identified in the protein hydrolysate of CGM through sequential purification and mass spectrometry analysis. The results of molecular docking analysis indicated that the cyclic peptides can form stable hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with the key amino acid residues of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Cyclic peptides may regulate the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway by occupying the Kelch domain of Keap1, inhibiting the ubiquitination degradation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), thereby stabilizing the Nrf2 protein and activating the antioxidant gene network. This study underlined the bioinformatics approach for antioxidant cyclic peptide discovery, which is time- and cost-effective and promotes new cyclic peptide drugs or functional food development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a1f5ed35655541fcbc577ddfd04f159e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-a1f5ed35655541fcbc577ddfd04f159e2025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-05-011410170910.3390/foods14101709Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten MealHongcheng Liu0Tong Sun1He Gao2Xiaolong Liu3Shanshan Zhang4Tingting Liu5Dawei Wang6Hongxiu Fan7Yanrong Zhang8School of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaScientific Research Base of Edible Mushroom Processing Technology Integration of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaSchool of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, ChinaUsing a multidisciplinary approach, this paper was designed to prepare, identify, and characterize novel maize antioxidant cyclic peptides from protein hydrolysate of corn gluten meal (CGM). A bioinformatics approach was used to identify the best protease, and the results showed that papain+subtilisin was most likely to produce antioxidant cyclic peptides. The result of the enzymatic hydrolysis validation experiment showed that hydrolysate by papain+subtilisin yielded the highest concentration of cyclic peptide (67.14 ± 1.88%) and remarkable DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radical scavenging rates (81.06 ± 2.23%, 82.82 ± 1.83%, and 47.44 ± 2.43%, respectively) compared to other hydrolysates. Eleven antioxidant cyclic peptides were identified in the protein hydrolysate of CGM through sequential purification and mass spectrometry analysis. The results of molecular docking analysis indicated that the cyclic peptides can form stable hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with the key amino acid residues of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Cyclic peptides may regulate the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway by occupying the Kelch domain of Keap1, inhibiting the ubiquitination degradation of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2), thereby stabilizing the Nrf2 protein and activating the antioxidant gene network. This study underlined the bioinformatics approach for antioxidant cyclic peptide discovery, which is time- and cost-effective and promotes new cyclic peptide drugs or functional food development.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1709antioxidant cyclic peptidebioinformaticsstructural characterizationmolecular docking |
| spellingShingle | Hongcheng Liu Tong Sun He Gao Xiaolong Liu Shanshan Zhang Tingting Liu Dawei Wang Hongxiu Fan Yanrong Zhang Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal Foods antioxidant cyclic peptide bioinformatics structural characterization molecular docking |
| title | Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal |
| title_full | Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal |
| title_fullStr | Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal |
| title_short | Bioinformatics-Assisted Discovery of Antioxidant Cyclic Peptides from Corn Gluten Meal |
| title_sort | bioinformatics assisted discovery of antioxidant cyclic peptides from corn gluten meal |
| topic | antioxidant cyclic peptide bioinformatics structural characterization molecular docking |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/10/1709 |
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