Investigation of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) skin gelatin peptides for their in vitro antioxidant effects

Peptides derived from tryptic hydrolysate of jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) skin gelatin were assessed for their antioxidant properties in different in vitro assay systems. The hydrolysate itself exhibited a strong lipid peroxidation inhibition and it was much higher than that of natural antioxidant, α-tocopherol. In addition, it could scavenge highly active free radicals in oxidative systems, in the order of hydroxyl and carbon-centered radicals. Two representative peptides with comparatively higher antioxidant potency were purified and characterized as Phe–Asp–Ser–Gly–Pro–Ala–Gly–Val–Leu (880.18 Da) and Asn–Gly–Pro–Leu–Gln–Ala–Gly–Gln–Pro–Gly–Glu–Arg (1241.59 Da). Furthermore, viability of radical-mediated oxidation-induced human lung fibroblasts was enhanced following the treatment of two peptides. However it did not exhibit substantial ion chelation, and we presumed that the observed radical scavenging potency of these peptides play a vital role for their strong antioxidant activity. Based on our results we suggest that hydrophobic amino acids present in peptide sequences contributed greatly for observed antioxidant activities.