Bioactive Peptides and Evaluation of Cardiac Cytoprotective Effects of Red Millet Yellow Wine as Functional Food

Red millet yellow wine, a functional beverage fermented from grain, has physiological functions including relieving cardiovascular diseases. However, the active components and mechanism of red millet yellow wine largely remain to be elucidated. In this study, bioactive peptides in red millet yellow wine and the cardiac cytoprotective effects were first investigated. A single-factor test and response surface method were used to optimize the solvent precipitation method to purify bioactive peptides. The final peptide content was up to 72.23%. Analysis of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry indicated a high antioxidative potential of the identified peptides. Multiple activity assays in vitro revealed that red millet yellow wine (1 mg/mL), particularly peptides (0.1 mg/mL), could protect H9c2 cells from H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage, thereby improving cell viability. At the mechanistic level, the antioxidant effect of bioactive peptides was achieved through strengthening antioxidative stress capacity and attributed to the activation of the Sirt1/Nrf2 pathway, indicating that peptides may be the main active components responsible for the cardiac cytoprotective effects of red millet yellow wine. These results are expected to provide a reference for further exploration of the health benefits of red millet yellow wine.