Structure and function of zinc-binding peptides derived from animal-based food proteins

拟议的研究重点是确定锌螯合作用的贡献，作为细胞培养物中食物蛋白衍生肽免疫改变的合理分子机制。人们对利用食物蛋白生产功能性肽越来越感兴趣，主要是为了增加低价值农业资源的价值。目前的证据表明，一些食物来源的肽可以减轻人类的异常生理过程，导致积极的健康影响，特别是高血压，心血管疾病，肾脏和免疫功能障碍以及炎症。然而，关于这些肽的结构如何影响其抗炎功能存在知识空白。诱导炎症反应的关键分子之一，肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）-α，已成为管理炎症性疾病的目标。TNF-α是由另一种蛋白质激活的，它需要锌来发挥作用。因此，我们假设具有锌结合能力的食物来源的肽可以抑制这些蛋白质，并在控制炎症事件中提供更广泛的影响。拟议的研究将涉及从未充分利用的蛋白质中生产锌结合肽，这些蛋白质来自废母鸡肉，这是加拿大禽蛋行业的副产品。这些肽在替代食品应用中的发现和使用将增加农业副产品的经济价值，并减少由于其处置而产生的环境碳足迹。此外，将进行多个相关性研究，以评估锌结合肽的结构和功能之间的关系，这可以有助于发现具有增强活性的肽。此外，大量食品来源的生物活性肽的可持续生产目前具有挑战性，因为产量低，可能阻碍商业应用。因此，拟议项目还将侧重于研究生产高产锌结合肽的生物技术方法。预期活性肽可用于配制营养补充剂和功能性食品以用于控制炎症状况。

The proposed research is focused on determining the contribution of zinc chelation as a plausible molecular mechanism of immune alteration by food protein-derived peptides in cell cultures. There has been an increased interest in using food proteins for the production of functional peptides mostly with the intent to add value to low-value agricultural resources. Current evidence indicates that some food-derived peptides can lessen abnormal physiological processes in humans, leading to positive health impacts particularly for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, renal and immune dysfunction, and inflammation. However, there is a knowledge gap on how the structures of these peptides impact their anti-inflammatory functions. One of the key molecules that induce inflammatory reactions, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, has become a target for managing inflammatory diseases. TNF-alpha is activated by another protein, which requires zinc to function. Therefore, we hypothesize that food-derived peptides that possess zinc-binding capability can inactivate these proteins and provide broader impact in controlling inflammatory events. The proposed research will involve strategic production of zinc-binding peptides from underutilized proteins derived from spent hen meats, which are by-products of Canada's poultry egg industry. The discovery and use of these peptides in alternative food applications will increase the economic value of the agricultural by-products and also reduce environmental carbon footprint due to their disposal. Moreover, multiple correlation studies will be conducted to evaluate the relationship between the structure and function of the zinc-binding peptides, and this can contribute towards the discovery of peptides with enhanced activity. In addition, sustainable production of large amounts of food-derived bioactive peptides is presently challenging due to low yields that can impede commercial applications. Consequently, the proposed project will also focus on investigating biotechnological methods for the production of high yields of zinc-binding peptides. It is expected that the active peptides can be used to formulate nutraceutical supplements and functional foods for use in managing inflammatory conditions.