Preparation, identification and molecular docking study of novel osteoblast proliferation-promoting peptides from yak ( Bos grunniens ) bones

. Hydrolysates were then separated using an ultrafiltration membrane system, and the peptides (<3 kDa) possessed excellent OPPA with a dose-response relationship. A total of 59 novel peptides were identified by HPLC-MS/MS with Mascot analysis. GPSGPAGKDGRIGQPG (GP-16) and GDRGETGPAGPAGPIGPV (GD-18) were selected for docking to investigate the underlying mechanisms of interaction. The molecular docking study revealed that osteoblast proliferation stimulation activity of GP-16 and GD-18 was mainly attributed to the formation of very strong hydrogen bonds with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). These results indicate that such peptides are promising in the discovery of potential candidates for the future industrial production of functional peptides, which could be used in the mediated treatment of osteoporosis.