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Published on: March 17, 2015
Characterization and comparison of the structure and antioxidant activity of queen bee larvae (Apis mellifera)
Lili Pang1, Fangfang Yan2, Aibo Wu1
1College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
Abstract:
Queen bee larvae (QBL), a by-product of royal jelly processing, represent a high-quality protein source that has not been fully utilized. In this study, the structural characteristics and antioxidant activities of QBL hydrolysates (QBLHs) produced using eight distinct proteases were investigated. The results showed that enzymatic hydrolysis altered the secondary and tertiary structure of QBL proteins and resulted in a looser and more irregular protein structure. Compared with other seven hydrolysates, Alcalase® 2.4 L FG hydrolysates possessed the strongest antioxidant activity, including with superior ABTS and •OH radical scavenging activity, Fe2+ chelating ability, ORAC, and protection against cellular oxidative stress. Two peptides HVPIFDRY and FPYQPPF, identified from Alcalase® 2.4 L FG hydrolysates, were shown to effectively mitigate AAPH-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells by Nrf2/NQO1/HO-1 pathway. These findings highlight the potential of Alcalase® 2.4 L FG hydrolysates as a promising natural antioxidant ingredient, facilitating QBL utilization as a functional protein resource.
