Novel Dual-Action Whitening Peptides Derived from Tea Protein Hydrolysates

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cosmetic Science
• Nutraceuticals

Background:

• Tea (Camellia sinensis) offers known health benefits, but its protein components' functional properties are underexplored.
• Tea protein hydrolysates (TPH) present a potential source of bioactive peptides.
• Investigating TPH for cosmetic applications like skin whitening and antioxidant activity is warranted.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize dual-action peptides from tea protein hydrolysates.
• To evaluate the tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant potential of these peptides.
• To assess the efficacy of identified peptides in cellular and animal models for skin whitening.

Main Methods:

• Extraction and enzymatic hydrolysis of tea proteins to produce TPH.
• UPLC-MS/MS for peptide identification.
• In silico screening and molecular docking for dual-action peptide discovery.
• In vitro assays for antioxidant activity (free radical scavenging, iron chelation).
• In vitro cell-based assays (B16-F10 melanoma cells) for melanogenesis inhibition and oxidative stress protection.
• In vivo zebrafish model for whitening efficacy validation.

Main Results:

• Two dual-action peptides, EGFG and FGDPHG, were identified from TPH.
• Both peptides demonstrated significant tyrosinase inhibition and antioxidant activities in cell-free systems.
• EGFG and FGDPHG effectively reduced melanogenesis and protected against oxidative stress in B16-F10 cells.
• Whitening efficacy was confirmed in a zebrafish model.

Conclusions:

• EGFG and FGDPHG are novel, dual-action peptides with potent tyrosinase inhibitory and antioxidant properties.
• These peptides show promising potential for skin whitening applications.
• Tea-derived peptides represent a valuable source of functional ingredients for the cosmetic and nutraceutical industries.