In the present study, peptide fractions of Cyclina sinensis hydrolysates, with molecular weight (MW) < 3 kDa and highest relative proliferation rate of murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7, were purified by a series of chromatographic purification methods, to obtain peptide fractions with immunomodulatory activity. The amino acid sequence of the peptide was identified to be Arg-Val-Ala-Pro-Glu-Glu-His-Pro-Val-Glu-Gly-Arg-Tyr-Leu-Val (RVAPEEHPVEGRYLV) with MW of 1750.81 Da, and the novel pentadecapeptide (named SCSP) was synthesized for subsequent immunomodulatory activity experiments. Results showed the SCSP enhanced macrophage phagocytosis, increased productions of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and up-regulated the protein level of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor κB (NF-κB), and NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, the expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor κB-α (IκB-α) was down-regulated. These findings suggest that SCSP might stimulate macrophage activities by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway and can be used as a potential immunomodulatory agent in functional food or medicine.

The ability to remove toxic heavy metals, such as Pb(II), from the environment is an important objective from both human-health and ecological perspectives. Herein, we describe the fabrication of a novel carboxymethylcellulose-coated metal organic material (MOF-5–CMC) adsorbent that removed lead ions from aqueous solutions. The adsorption material was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. We studied the functions of the contact time, pH, the original concentration of the Pb(II) solution, and adsorption temperature on adsorption capacity. MOF-5–CMC beads exhibit good adsorption performance; the maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir isotherm-model is 322.58 mg/g, and the adsorption equilibrium was reached in 120 min at a concentration of 300 mg/L. The adsorption kinetics is well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics, and the adsorption equilibrium data are well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model (R² = 0.988). Thermodynamics experiments indicate that the adsorption process is both spontaneous and endothermic. In addition, the adsorbent is reusable. We conclude that MOF-5–CMC is a good adsorbent that can be used to remove Pb(II) from aqueous solutions.

Collagen was extracted from bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) skins by salting-out (PSC-SO) and isoelectric precipitation (PSC-IP) methods. The yield of the PSC-IP product was approximately 17.17% (dry weight), which was greater than the yield obtained from PSC-SO (14.14% dry weight). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that collagen from bigeye tuna skin belongs to collagen type I. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry results indicate that the heavy metal abundance in PSC-IP was lower than the maximum acceptable amounts according to Chinese regulatory standards. In addition, results from a methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay and an in vitro scratch assay demonstrated that PSC-IP could promote the proliferation and migration of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. Overall, results suggest PSC-IP could be used to rapidly extract collagen from marine by-products instead of traditional salting-out methods. Collagen from bigeye tuna skin may also have strong potential for cosmetic and biomedical applications.

The structure of pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC) obtained from the skin of Lophius litulon was analyzed using the sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SDS-PAGE results showed that PSC from Lophius litulon skin was collagen type I and had collagen-specific α1, α2, β, and γ chains. FTIR results indicated that the infrared spectrum of PSC ranged from 400 to 4000 cm⁻¹, with five main amide bands. SEM revealed the microstructure of PSC, which consisted of clear fibrous and porous structures. In vitro antioxidant studies demonstrated that PSC revealed the scavenging ability for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), HO·, O₂⁻·, and ABTS·. Moreover, animal experiments were conducted to evaluate the biocompatibility of PSC. The collagen sponge group showed a good biocompatibility in the skin wound model and may play a positive role in the progression of the healing process. The cumulative results suggest that collagen from the skin of Lophius litulon has potential applications in wound healing due to its good biocompatibility.

Collagen is a promising biomaterial used in the beauty and biomedical industries. In this study, the physicochemical characterization, antioxidant activities, and protective effects against H₂O₂-induced injury of collagen isolated from Acaudina molpadioides were investigated. The amino acid composition analysis showed that the collagen was rich in glycine (Gly), alanine (Ala), and glutamic acid (Glu), but poor in tyrosine (Tyr) and phenylalanine (Phe). Zeta potential analysis revealed that the isoelectric point (pI) of collagen from Acaudina molpadioides was about 4.25. It possessed moderate scavenging activities of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the collagen was able to effectively improve cell viability and morphology, inhibit the production of Malondialdehyde (MDA), and increase the activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) in cultured RAW264.7 cells, resulting in a protective effect against H₂O₂-induced injury. Overall, the results showed that collagen extracted from A. molpadioides has promising prospects in the beauty and cosmetics industries.

Acute liver injury (ALI) and acute kidney injury (AKI) are significantly affected by the antioxidant status. In the present study, the protective effect and mechanism of the collagen peptide Phe-Leu-Ala-Pro (FLAP) in mice with ALI and AKI induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) were examined. The results showed that FLAP effectively improved the liver mass index, the renal mass index, and the histopathological morphology. FLAP treatment significantly decreased the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CRE) but increased the activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). The protein expression levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), p-protein kinase B (p-AKT), and p-phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (p-PI3K) in the liver and kidneys were significantly up-regulated after FLAP treatment. FLAP down-regulated the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB) in liver and kidney tissues. Thus, FLAP may play a protective role in ALI and AKI by attenuating oxidative stress and inflammation mediated by the Nrf2/anti-response element (ARE) and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathways.