Isolation and antihypertensive effect of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides from spinach Rubisco

Four new inhibitory peptides for angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), that is, MRWRD, MRW, LRIPVA, and IAYKPAG, were isolated from the pepsin-pancreatin digest of spinach Rubisco with the use of HPLC. IC(50) values of individual peptides were 2.1, 0.6, 0.38, and 4.2 microM, respectively. MRW and MRWRD had an antihypertensive effect after oral administration to spontaneously hypertensive rats. Maximal reduction occurred 2 h after oral administration of MRW, whereas MRWRD showed maximal decrease 4 h after oral administration at doses of 20 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. IAYKPAG also exerted antihypertensive activity after oral administration at the dose of 100 mg/kg, giving a maximum decrease 4 h after oral administration. IAYKP, IAY, and KP, the fragment peptides of IAYKPAG, also exerted antihypertensive activity. LRIPVA [corrected] did not show any antihypertensive effect at a dose of 100 mg/kg despite its potent ACE-inhibitory activity.     

Peptides with angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity from defibrinated,hydrolyzed bovine plasma

Defibrinated bovine plasma (DBP) was treated with the microbial protease Flavourzyme to obtain protein hydrolysates with various degrees of hydrolysis (DH). The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting activity of the hydrolyzed protein was assessed with hippuryl-His-Leu as the substrate. The amount of hippuric acid released, due to uninhibited ACE activity, was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. ACE inhibiting (ACEI) activity was found to increase with increasing DH; the 43% DH hydrolysate exhibited the highest activity and had an IC(50) of 1.08 mg/mL. Peptide fractions with high ACEI activity were isolated using size exclusion chromatography. The fraction that possessed the highest ACEI activity contained peptides with GYP, HL(I), HPY, HPGH, L(I)F, SPY, and YPH sequence motifs, as determined by reversed-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry using a novel immonium precursor-ion scanning technique. Some of these motifs correspond to sequences found in bovine serum albumin, a potential source of ACEI peptides in bovine plasma.     

Action mechanism of an angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide derived from chicken breast muscle

In a previous study, we isolated the inhibitory peptide (P4 peptide, Gly-Phe-Hyp-Gly-Thr-Hyp-Gly-Leu-Hyp-Gly-Phe) for angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) from chicken breast muscle extract possessing hypotensive activity for spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). This study was performed to elucidate the peptide's action mechanisms of inhibiting ACE. Intravenous administration of synthetic P4 peptide resulted in significant drops in the blood pressures of SHRs. As Dixon plots indicate, the P4 peptide showed high affinity toward ACE (K(i) = 11.48 microM) and only 10% of the total amount of the P4 peptide was decomposed. The analyses of the relationship between the ACE inhibitory activity and structure of the P4 peptide clarified that Hyp-Gly-Leu-Hyp-Gly-Phe showed a stronger activity (IC50 = 10 microM) than the P4 peptide (IC50 = 46 microM). When Phe at the C-terminus of the P4 peptide was deleted, IC50 changed to 25000 microM, indicating that Phe at the C-terminus of the peptide is very important for ACE inhibitory activity.     

Vascular effects, angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity, and antihypertensive properties of peptides derived from egg white

In this study, we have identified novel antihypertensive peptides derived from egg-white proteins. The sequences YRGGLEPINF and ESIINF produced an acute blood-pressure-lowering effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats upon a single oral administration. Our results suggest that the antihypertensive action could be attributed to a vascular-relaxing mechanism that would occur in vivo independently of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, because neither these peptides nor their main digestion fragments, except for the dipeptide YR, acted as ACE inhibitors in vitro. The vasodilator and antihypertensive activity of the sequences ESI and NF would explain the blood-pressure-lowering effect of ESIINF. With regard to YRGGLEPINF, in addition to NF, YR appeared as the main fragment responsible for its activity. The dipeptide YR, named kyotorphin and previously identified as an endogenous analgesic neuropeptide in the central nervous system, showed strong vasodilator and antihypertensive properties. The structure-activity features of the vasodilator peptides are discussed.     

Peptide with angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity from hydrolyzed corn gluten meal

Corn gluten meal (CGM) was hydrolyzed by Alcalase after starch removal of CGM was applied as a pretreatment. A new inhibitory peptide for angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) was isolated from the hydrolysate of CGM with the use of Bio-Rad P-2 gel filtration and followed by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The sequence of the active peptide was determined to be Ala-Tyr after the application of amino acid analysis and HPLC/MS. The IC50 of the peptide was 14.2 microM, and it was not affected by preincubation with 30 mU of ACE at 37 degrees C for 3 h. Ala-Tyr also exerted antihypertensive effects after oral administration to spontaneously hypertensive rats. A maximal reduction of systolic blood pressure of 9.5 mmHg was observed 2 h after oral administration of Ala-Tyr at doses of 50 mg/kg.     

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides derived from wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) and their antihypertensive effect in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Seven kinds of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides were isolated from the hydrolysates of wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) by Protease S "Amano" (from Bacillus stearothermophilus) by using three-step high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on a reverse-phase column. These peptides were identified by amino acid composition analysis, sequence analysis, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), as Val-Tyr (IC(50) = 35.2 microM), Ile-Tyr (6.1 microM), Ala-Trp (18.8 microM), Phe-Tyr (42.3 microM), Val-Trp (3.3 microM), Ile-Trp (1.5 microM), and Leu-Trp (23.6 microM). These peptides have resistance against gastrointestinal proteases in vitro. Each peptide was determined to have an antihypertensive effect after a single oral administration in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Among them, the blood pressure significantly decreased by Val-Tyr, Ile-Tyr, Phe-Tyr, and Ile-Trp in a dose of 1 mg/kg of body weight (BW). The present study showed that antihypertensive effect in the hydrolysates of wakame by Protease S "Amano" was attributed to these peptides.     

Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of loach ( Misgurnus anguillicaudatus ) peptides prepared by papain digestion

Loach protein hydrolysates (LPH) prepared by papain digestion were fractionated into four fractions, LPH-I (MW > 10 kDa), LPH-II (MW = 5-10 kDa), LPH-III (MW = 3-5 kDa), LPH-IV (MW < 3 kDa), and the in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative (anticancer) activities of all fractions were determined. LPH-IV showed the lowest IC(50) value (16.9 ± 0.21 mg/mL) for hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and the highest oxygen radical scavenging capacity (ORAC) value (reaching 215 ± 5.9 mM Trolox/100 g loach peptide when the concentration was 60 μg/mL). Compared with other fractions, LPH-IV also exhibited stronger antiproliferative activity for human liver (HepG2), breast (MCF-7), and colon (Caco-2) cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. When the protein concentration was 40 mg/mL, the HepG2 and MCF-7 cell proliferation of LPH-IV reached 7 and 4%, respectively, with no significant difference from those of LPH (8 and 7%, p > 0.05), with significantly less growth than those of LPH-I, LPH-II, and LPH-III, respectively (p < 0.05). The Caco-2 colon cell proliferation of LPH-IV was 12.8- and 8.7-fold smaller than those of LPH-I and LPH-II, respectively (p < 0.05). All of the fractions had a greater ability to inhibit Caco-2 colon cancer cell proliferation than to inhibit HepG2 liver cancer and MCF-7 breast cancer cell proliferation. The ORAC values of most of the fractions correlated (R(2) > 0.86, p < 0.01) with the antiproliferative activity of the three cancer cell lines, suggesting that higher antioxidant activity leads to better antiproliferative activity. However, further mechanistic and human clinical studies of the anticancer activity of loach protein hydrolysate fractions are needed.     

A novel angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory peptide from Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma) frame protein hydrolysate

Alaska pollack frame protein, which is normally discarded as an industrial byproduct in the processing of fish in plants, was hydrolyzed with pepsin. This was fractionated into five major types of Alaska pollack frame protein hydrolysates (APH-I, 10-30 kDa; APH-II, 5-10 kDa; APH-III, 3-5 kDa; APH-IV, 1-3 kDa; and APH-V, below 1 kDa) using an ultrafiltration membrane bioreactor system. Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of the fractionated hydrolysates were investigated, and the fraction that exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity was further purified using consecutive chromatographic methods on SP-Sephadex C-25 column, Sephadex G-25 column, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) on an octadecylsilane column. Finally, we purified a novel ACE inhibitory peptide with an IC50 value of 14.7 microM, and the sequence of the peptide was Phe-Gly-Ala-Ser-Thr-Arg-Gly-Ala. In addition, the ACE inhibition pattern of the peptide was found to be noncompetitive.     

His-His-Leu, an angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitory peptide derived from Korean soybean paste, exerts antihypertensive activity in vivo.

It has been reported that soybean peptide fractions isolated from Korean fermented soybean paste exert angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity in vitro. In this study, further purification and identification of the most active fraction inhibiting ACE activity were performed, and its antihypertensive activity in vivo was confirmed. Subsequently, a novel ACE inhibitory peptide was isolated by preparative HPLC. The amino acid sequence of the isolated peptide was identified as His-His-Leu (HHL) by Edman degradation. The IC(50) value of the HHL for ACE activity was 2.2 microg/mL in vitro. Moreover, the synthetic tripeptide HHL (spHHL) resulted in a significant decrease of ACE activity in the aorta and led to lowered systolic blood pressure (SBP) in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats compared to control. Triple injections of spHHL, 5 mg/kg of body weight/injection resulted in a significant decrease of SBP by 61 mmHg (p < 0.01) after the third injection. These results demonstrated that the ACE inhibitory peptide HHL derived from Korean fermented soybean paste exerted antihypertensive activity in vivo.     

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide derived from glycinin, the 11S globulin of soybean (Glycine max)

Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), a dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase, catalyzes the conversion of Angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor Angiotensin II and plays an important physiological role in regulating blood pressure. Inhibitors of angiotensin 1-converting enzyme derived from food proteins are utilized for pharmaceuticals and physiologically functional foods. ACE inhibitory properties of different enzymatic hydrolysates of glycinin, the major storage protein of soybean, have been demonstrated. The IC50 value for the different enzyme digests ranges from 4.5 to 35 microg of N2. The Protease P hydrolysate contained the most potent suite of ACE inhibitory peptides. The ACE inhibitory activity of the Protease P hydrolysate after fractionation by RP-HPLC and ion-pair chromatography was ascribed to a single peptide. The peptide was homogeneous as evidenced by MALDI-TOF and identified to be a pentapeptide. The sequence was Val-Leu-Ile-Val-Pro. This peptide was synthesized using solid-phase FMOC chemistry. The IC50 for ACE inhibition was 1.69 +/- 0.17 microM. The synthetic peptide was a potent competitive inhibitor of ACE with a Ki of 4.5 +/- 0.25 x 10(-6) M. This peptide was resistant to digestion by proteases of the gastrointestinal tract. The antihypertensive property of this peptide derived from glycinin might find importance in the development of therapeutic functional foods.     

Release of angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides from flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) protein under simulated gastrointestinal digestion

The scope of this study was to determine the ability of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) proteins to release angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACEI) peptides during simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion using a static (SM; no absorption in the intestinal phase) and a dynamic model (DM; simultaneous absorption of digested products in the intestinal phase via passive diffusion). Gastric and gastric + small intestinal digests of flaxseed proteins of both models possessed ACEI activity. The ACEI activity of the gastric + small intestinal digest in the DM (IC(50) unabsorbed, 0.05 mg N/mL; IC(50) absorbed, 0.04 mg N/mL) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the SM (IC(50), 0.39 mg N/mL). Two peptides, a pentapeptide (Trp-Asn-Ile/Leu-Asn-Ala) and a hexapeptide (Asn-Ile/Leu-Asp-Thr-Asp-Ile/Leu), were identified in the most active ACEI fraction (0.5-1 kDa) of the absorbable flaxseed protein digest by de novo sequencing.     

Purification of an ACE inhibitory peptide after hydrolysis of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) protein isolates

Sunflower protein isolates and the proteases pepsin and pancreatin were used for the production of protein hydrolysates that inhibit angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE). Hydrolysates obtained after 3 h of incubation with pepsin and 3 h with pancreatin were studied. An ACE inhibitory peptide with the sequence Phe-Val-Asn-Pro-Gln-Ala-Gly-Ser was obtained by G-50 gel filtration chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography C18 reverse phase chromatography. This peptide corresponds to a fragment of helianthinin, the 11S globulin from sunflower seeds, which is the main storage protein in sunflower. These results show that sunflower seed proteins are a potential source of ACE inhibitory peptides when hydrolyzed with pepsin and pancreatin.     

Inhibition strength of short peptides derived from an ACE inhibitory peptide

A series of peptides, derived from an ACE inhibitory peptide (VTVNPYKWLP) found in our previous work, were synthesized. Their half maximal inhibition concentrations (IC(50)) for ACE inhibition have been determined. The effect of amino acid sequence on ACE inhibition was discussed on the basis of IC(50) of the synthetic peptides, and the following characteristics of the ACE inhibitory peptide have been clarified. First, the active portion of this peptide for ACE inhibition is KW. Second, the amino acid sequences near this dipeptide (KW) have a strong effect on the inhibitory activity. Especially, the proline residue in the C-terminal end strongly enhanced ACE inhibition. It should be noted that the IC(50) value of KWLP (5.5 μM) is the same as the ACE inhibitory peptide (VTVNPYKWLP) and that the IC(50) value of KW is 7.8 μM. The stability and absorption efficiency in vivo would be significantly improved by shortening the peptide length from 10 amino acids to four amino acids or two amino acids.     

Synthesis of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) during sourdough fermentation by selected lactic acid bacteria

This article aimed at investigating the synthesis of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) during sourdough fermentation of white wheat, wholemeal wheat, and rye flours. Sourdough lactic acid bacteria, selected previously for proteinase and peptidase activities toward wheat proteins or for the capacity of synthesizing GABA, were used. The highest ACE-inhibitory activity was found by fermenting flour under semiliquid conditions (dough yield 330) and, especially, by using wholemeal wheat flour. Fourteen peptides, not previously reported as ACE-inhibitory, were identified from the water/salt-soluble extract of wholemeal wheat sourdough (IC 50 0.19-0.54 mg/mL). The major part of the identified peptides contained the well-known antihypertensive epitope VAP. The synthesis of GABA increased when the dough yield was decreased to 160. The highest synthesis of GABA (258.71 mg/kg) was found in wholemeal wheat sourdough.     

Optimizing angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) fillet hydrolysate using response surface methodology and ultrafiltration

The in vitro angiotensin I-converting enyzme (ACE) inhibitory activity of Pacific hake hydrolysates was investigated as a function of hydrolysis conditions, starting material variability, and ultrafiltration. Hake fillets were hydrolyzed using Protamex protease under various conditions of pH, hydrolysis time, and enzyme-to-substrate ratio (% E/S) according to a response surface methodology (RSM) central composite design. The hydrolysate produced at pH 6.5, 125 min, and 3.0% E/S had an IC 50 of 165 +/- 9 microg of total solids/mL. ACE-inhibitory activity was not significantly different (P < 0.05) for hydrolysates produced using higher time-enzyme combinations within the model or from fish of different catches. Ultrafiltration (10 kDa molecular mass cutoff) resulted in an IC50 value of 44 +/- 7 microg of peptides/mL, 2.5 times more potent than the commercial product PeptACE Peptides (IC50 = 114 +/- 8 microg of peptides/mL). These results suggest that hydrolysates prepared with minimal fractionation from Pacific hake, an undervalued fish, may be a commercially competitive source of ACE-inhibitory peptides.     

Release of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion: from batch experiment to semicontinuous model

Gastrointestinal digestion is of major importance in the bioavailability of angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides, bioactive peptides with possible antihypertensive effects. In this study, the conditions of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion leading to the formation and degradation of ACE inhibitory peptides were investigated for pea and whey protein. In batch experiments, the digestion simulating the physiological conditions sufficed to achieve the highest ACE inhibitory activity, with IC(50) values of 0.076 mg/mL for pea and 0.048 mg/mL for whey protein. The degree of proteolysis did not correlate with the ACE inhibitory activity and was always higher for pea than whey. In a semicontinuous model of gastrointestinal digestion, response surface methodology studied the influence of temperature and incubation time in both the stomach and small intestine phases on the ACE inhibitory activity and degree of proteolysis. For pea protein, a linear model for the degree of proteolysis and a quadratic model for the ACE inhibitory activity could be constituted. Within the model, a maximal degree of proteolysis was observed at the highest temperature and the longest incubation time in the small intestine phase, while maximal ACE inhibitory activity was obtained at the longest incubation times in the stomach and small intestine phase. These results show that ACE inhibitory activity of pea and whey hydrolysates can be controlled by the conditions of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.     

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of hetero-chitooligosaccharides prepared from partially different deacetylated chitosans

Angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of hetero-chitooligosaccharides (hetero-COSs) prepared from partially different deacetylated chitosans was investigated. Partially deacetylated chitosans, 90, 75, and 50% deacetylated chitosan, were prepared from crab chitin by N-deacetylation with 40% sodium hydroxide solution for durations. In addition, nine kinds of hetero-COSs with relatively high molecular masses (5000-10 000 Da; 90-HMWCOSs, 75-HMWCOSs, and 50-HMWCOSs), medium molecular masses (1000-5000 Da; 90-MMWCOSs, 75-MMWCOSs, and 50-MMWCOSs), and low molecular masses (below 1000 Da; 90-LMWCOSs, 75-LMWCOSs, and 50-LMWCOSs) were prepared using an ultrafiltration membrane bioreactor system. ACE inhibitory activity of hetero-COSs was dependent on the degree of deacetylation of chitosans. 50-MMWCOSs that are COSs hydrolyzed from 50% deacetylated chitosan, the relatively lowest degree of deacetylation, exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory activity, and the IC(50) value was 1.22 +/- 0.13 mg/mL. In addition, the ACE inhibition pattern of the 50-MMWCOSs was investigated by Lineweaver-Burk plots, and the inhibition pattern was found to be competitive.     

Hypotensive and physiological effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory peptides derived from soy protein on spontaneously hypertensive rats

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides prepared from soy protein by the action of alcalase enzyme was tested for its hypotensive effect on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Captopril, an ACE inhibitor used widely for hypertension treatment, was also applied in comparison. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in systolic blood pressure of SHR was observed when soy ACE inhibitory peptides were orally administrated at three different dose levels (100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg of body weight/day), whereas little change occurred in the blood pressure of normotensive rats even at the highest dose. After a month-long feeding, blood pressure readings of SHR fell by approximately 38 mmHg from the original level at the lowest dose; a steadily and progressively hypotensive effect existed for these soy ACE inhibitory peptides administration groups. An obvious fluctuation was observed at the third week, although Captopril had a stronger hypotensive effect. The ACE activity of serum, aorta and lung, and lipid content of serum of SHR upon administration of soy ACE inhibitory peptides did not show a significant difference from that of the control group, whereas the serum ACE activity increased and the aorta ACE activity decreased significantly (p < 0.05) for the Captopril group. Serum Na(+) concentration decreased significantly in both the peptides-treated groups and the Captopril-treated group in comparison with the control group, whereas no lowering effect was observed for serum K(+) and serum Ca(2+) concentrations. These results suggested that the hypotensive effect of ACE inhibitory peptides derived from soy protein could be at least partly attributed to the action on salt/water balance.     

Determination of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory peptide Leu-Lys-Pro-Asn-Met (LKPNM) in bonito muscle hydrolysates by LC-MS/MS

Proteolytic digestion of dried bonito muscle with thermolysin produces a hydrolysate with strong angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity and is the basis of a dietary supplement with antihypertensive activity. A major portion of the ACE activity was shown previously to arise from the peptide Leu-Lys-Pro-Asn-Met (LKPNM). A straightforward method to quantify this peptide was developed using one-step C18 solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by LC-MS/MS quantification. The SPE step resulted in a hydrolysate that was still crude, as illustrated by combined size-exclusion chromatography/multi-angle laser light scattering detection that showed that a major fraction of oligopeptides were in the 2-20 kDa range. This fraction has a weight-average molecular weight (M(w)) of approximately 5.0 kDa. Method validation for specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, and reproducibility showed that standard additions of synthetic LKPNM to bonito extract with SPE enrichment followed by LC-MS/MS is a suitably robust procedure for the determination of LKPNM content. The method was also successful for encapsulated powders in which the excipients used are insoluble in water and could be removed by centrifugation.     

Simultaneous determination of Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides in tryptic casein hydrolysate by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with a replicate heart-cut column-switching technique

A replicate heart-cut column-switching HPLC method combined with two switching valves was newly developed for the simultaneous determination of three antihypertensive peptides (Ala-Phe, Tyr-Pro, and Trp-Tyr) in tryptic casein hydrolysate in one run-in assay. After a first separation on an octadecyl silane (ODS) column, heart-cuts of each peptide were individually separated on a subsequent analytical ODS column: 26% acetonitrile for Ala-Phe and Tyr-Pro (32% for Trp-Tyr) in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid containing 10 mM sodium 1-octanesulfonate at 0.8 mL/min. Ala-Phe, Tyr-Pro, and Trp-Tyr in casein hydrolysate were determined within 70 min to be 0.377 +/- 0.037 mg/g, 2.50 +/- 0.26 mg/g, and 0.096 +/- 0.008 mg/g, respectively.