α 67-106 of bovine hemoglobin: a new family of antimicrobial and angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory peptides

Protein hydrolysates are of a significant interest, due to their potential application as a source of bioactive peptides in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical domains. The present study was focused on bovine hemoglobin hydrolysate obtained with pig pepsin in the presence of 30% ethanol. This hydrolysate was fractioned by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) into 12 major fractions (F₁–F₁₂). All fractions were analyzed by ESI/MS and ESI/MS/MS, in order to characterize and identify the peptides in these fractions. This hydrolysis permitted to generate a new serial of bioactive peptides with both antimicrobial and ACE inhibitory activities. Identified peptides were TKAVEHLDDLPGALSELSDLHAHKLRVDPVNFKLLSHSLL, LDDLPGALSELSDLHAHKLRVDPVNFKLLSHSL, KLLSHSL, and LLSHSL corresponding respectively to the 67-106, 73-105, 99-105, and 100-105 fragments of the α chain of bovine hemoglobin. They were the first found from bovine hemoglobin. These purified peptides have an antibacterial activity against four bacteria strains: Kocuria luteus A270, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus with a MIC between 187.1 and 35.2 μM. On the other hand, these peptides displayed at the same time ACE inhibitory activity with an IC₅₀ range from 42.55 to 1,095 μM.     

Evaluation of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities of smooth hound (Mustelus mustelus) muscle protein hydrolysates generated by gastrointestinal proteases: identification of the most potent active peptide

In this study, smooth hound protein hydrolysates (SHPHs), obtained by treatment with various gastrointestinal proteases, were analyzed for their angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities. Protein hydrolysates were obtained by treatment with crude alkaline enzyme extract, low molecular weight (LMW) alkaline protease, trypsin-like protease and pepsin from Mustelus mustelus, and bovine trypsin. All hydrolysates exhibited inhibitory activity toward ACE. Hydrolysate generated with alkaline protease extract displayed the highest ACE inhibitory activity, and the higher inhibition activity (82.6% at 2 mg/mL) was obtained with a hydrolysis degree of 18.8%. This hydrolysate was then fractionated by size exclusion chromatography on a Sephadex G-25 into five major fractions (P₁–P₅). ACE inhibitory activities of all fractions were assayed, and P₃ was found to display a high ACE inhibitory activity (62.24% at 1 mg/mL). P₃ was then fractionated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and ten fractions of ACE inhibitors were found (F₁–F₁₀). Sub-fraction F₃ showed the strongest ACE inhibitory activity, being able to suppress more than 60% of initial enzyme activity at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The amino acid sequence of peptide F₃ was determined by ESI/MS and ESI–MS/MS as Ala-Gly-Ser, and the IC₅₀ value for ACE inhibitory activity was 0.13 ± 0.03 mg/mL. Further, purified peptide F₃ maintained inhibitory activity even after in vitro digestion with gastrointestinal proteases in order to demonstrate gastrointestinal stability digestion to enable oral application. These results indicate that smooth hound protein hydrolysate possesses potent antihypertensive activity.     

Delamination of laminated composites under the combined effect of nonuniform heating and absorbed moisture

During service exposure, composite structures may be subjected to local heating under which three‐dimensional temperature gradients may develop with temperature differences that can exceed 150°C. The different thermal expansion that is associated with such temperature gradients can generate a range of thermal stresses such as compressive thermal stresses around the periphery of the heated zone, leading potentially to delamination. In this article the combined effects of nonuniform heating and moisture in glass‐ and carbon fiber‐reinforced epoxy laminates are presented, detailing the results of the effect of moisture on the mechanical properties, the simulation experiments of nonuniform heating including in situ measurement of temperatures and strains, and a schematic model of the observed delamination by bulging. The main conclusion is that delamination damage in a form of bulging occurs only in the presence of a threshold level of moisture of about 1 wt%. This threshold level corresponds to the critical moisture content found to produce major mechanical property reduction and interlamina separation. The proposed mechanism comprises a chain of consequences induced by moisture, wherein chemical degradation of the interlamina hot region is followed by mechanical interlamina separation and bulging caused by steam pressure. POLYM. COMPOS., 26:770–777, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers