Bioactive peptides alleviating oxidative stress-associated diseases by targeting the Nrf2 signaling pathway

Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance of the antioxidant defense system and excessive production of free radicals, which can damage biological macromolecules such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, and can cause aging, ischemia-reperfusion injury, inflammatory injury, liver and kidney injury and other diseases. The nuclear factor erytheroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a major regulator of redox balance. The Nrf2 pathway also exerts a central function in cell apoptosis, oxidative stress damage and metabolic diseases. Bioactive peptides are small molecular peptides composed of amino acid residues. They have many biological activities and play important physiological roles in human body. Antioxidant peptide is a kind of peptide which can reduce oxidative stress damage. They are safe, non-toxic and easily absorbed. In this review, we summarized the mechanism of bioactive peptides in regulating oxidative stress, especially antioxidant peptides, through regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and the expressions of oxidative stress-related genes, to alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage. The paper will provide valuable reference to investigators in the antioxidant peptide field and also promote the applications of antioxidant peptides in the oxidative stress-associated diseases.