Peptides from extruded lupin (Lupinus albus L.) regulate inflammatory activity via the p38 MAPK signal transduction pathway in RAW 264.7 cells

In this study, protein was extracted from extruded lupin and submitted to gastroduodenal digests to obtain lupin peptides, which were characterized using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). After that, IQDKEGIPPDQQR (IQD), the lupine peptide monomer characterized after UPLC-MS/MS, was screened out by macrophages inflammatory cytokines productions assay. RNA-sequencing analysis was performed to explore the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity associated with this peptide. The results indicated that lupin peptides effectively inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced overproduction of pro-inflammatory mediators. IQD inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) by 51.20%, 38.52%, 44.70%, and 40.43%, respectively. RNA-sequencing results showed that IQD inhibited the inflammatory response by regulating the gene expression of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and inhibiting downstream inflammatory cytokines. These bioactive peptides may be used to develop new ingredients for anti-inflammatory nutritional supplements.