Prevention and potential repair of colitis: Beneficial effects and regulatory mechanisms of food-derived anti-inflammatory peptides

Intestinal inflammatory diseases are increasingly prevalent worldwide, and their pathogenesis is still not fully understood. As of late, studies have discovered that food-derived peptides have specific anti-inflammatory activity and can play a positive role in intestinal health. At the same time, it has broad application prospects in the prevention and treatment of colitis because of its wide source, fast absorption, and high safety. This article reviews the structure-activity and quantity-effect relationships of food-derived peptides for their anti-inflammatory effects. It then discusses their mechanism of action in inhibiting colitis from four aspects. Food-derived anti-inflammatory peptides can delay the progression of the disease by stimulating innate immunity, inhibiting inflammation, and promoting wound healing. Further experiments showed that food-derived anti-inflammatory peptides could prevent and treat colitis through four mechanisms: (a) regulation of inflammatory cytokines; (b) regulation of inflammatory pathways; (c) regulation of intestinal epithelial barrier; (d) regulation of intestinal flora balance. However, due to the treatment of colitis having limitations, there is an urgent to develop food-derived anti-inflammatory peptides as a treatment or adjunctive treatment for colitis. This review highlights the positive effects of food-derived peptides on colitis and anticipates the appearance of mitigating peptides for the therapy of colitis.