Purification and Identification of Pine Nut (Pinus yunnanensis Franch.) Protein Hydrolysate and Its Antioxidant Activity in Vitro and in Vivo

Abstract In this study, the pine nut ( Pinus yunnanensis Franch.) protein was hydrolyzed by alkaline protease and trypsin to prepare pine nut protein hydrolysate (PNPH). The chemical, intracellular and in vivo antioxidant capacity of PNPH were evaluated. PNPH owned the ability of scavenging free radicals, and it could protect the HepG2 cells from oxidative damage by preserving cell viability. Moreover, PNPH could reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and improved the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activities in serum, heart and liver of aging mice induced by D‐galactose. Further, the PNPH was stepwise purified and identified, and 15 peptides were identified from purified fraction in PNPH. The three‐dimension structures of identified peptides were predicted. Among all identified peptides, peptide 3, 7, 8 and 11 were presumed to possess good antioxidant activity. Overall, PNPH and purified peptides isolated from PNPH have potential application prospects in the field of natural antioxidants and anti‐aging functional foods.