Screening of fermented milks with Lactococcus and Lactobacillus strains isolated from artisanal Mexican cheeses by the evaluation of the in vitro inhibition of enzymes associated to neurodegeneration

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the in vitro inhibition of enzymes related to neurodegeneration (prolyl endopeptidase, PEP; acetylcholinesterase, AChE; butyrylcholinesterase, BChE; lipoxygenase, LOX) and the antioxidant activity from fermented milks (FM) with Lactococcus and Lactobacillus spp. All FM presented antioxidant activity (ABTS and ORAC); however, FM with Lactococcus NRRL B-50571 (FM-571) presented higher (P < 0.05) oxidative haemolysis inhibition. Additionally, FM-571 presented the lowest IC₅₀ for LOX (1.78 mg/mL), PEP (3.16 mg/mL), AChE (3.22 mg/mL) and BChE (2.14 mg/mL). Thus, FM-571 was selected for in silico analysis for the prediction of binding sites of peptides present in this FM with enzymes active sites. Altogether, thirty peptides showed (P < 0.01) high binding potential to AChE, seventeen to BChE and LOX and sixteen to PEP. Thus, FM-571 shows potential for the development of dairy products with potential neuroprotective effects.