Stress conditions and proinflammatory cytokines activate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), a member of the stress-activated group of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). We recently demonstrated that inhibition of JNK signaling with the use of the islet-brain (IB) 1 and 2 proteins prevented interleukin (IL)-1 –induced pancreatic -cell death. Bioactive cell-permeable peptide inhibitors ...

AIM Sheep milk-born bioactive peptides have been found to exhibit various physiological activities. The present work was designed with the aim to evaluate the effect of boiling on antidiabetic property of peptides derived from sheep milk caseinate on hydrolysis with three different proteases. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this investigation, casein prepared from raw and boiled sheep milk was hydro...

Solitary wasps paralyze insects or spiders with stinging venom and feed the paralyzed preys to their larva. Accordingly, the venoms should contain a variety of constituents acting on nervous systems. However, only a few solitary wasp venoms have been chemically studied despite thousands of species inhabiting the planet. We have surveyed bioactive substances in solitary wasp venoms found in Japa...

Biologically active compounds with different modes of action, such as, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antimicrotubule, have been isolated from marine sources, specifically algae and cyanobacteria. Recently research has been focused on peptides from marine animal sources, since they have been found as secondary metabolites from sponges, ascidians, tunicates, and mollusks. The structural charact...

An integrated approach combining liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC– MS/MS) with in silico analysis was used to screen dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory peptides from deer skin hydrolysates. A total of 203, 244 and 60 peptides were identified from deer skin hydrolysates prepared with pepsin, pepsin + trypsin and pepsin + Alcalase, respectively, by LC–MS/MS. The percent...