Cartilage is a nonedible byproduct with little saleable value. However, previous studies have proposed the possibility of producing peptides from cartilage with immune function modulation potential. The current study aimed to investigate the potential anti-inflammatory activity of peptides derived from sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) cartilage in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Five peptide sequences, including four novel peptides, were identified from ethanol-soluble cartilage hydrolysates. Among these five peptides, LTGP, LLLE, LLEL and VGPAGPAGP reduced the production of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) while increasing interleukin-10 (IL-10) excretion. Transcriptome analysis suggested the inhibition of activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathways after LLEL intervention. MAPK, which is involved in the IL-17 signaling pathway, was further proved to be blocked by downregulating the phosphorylation of p38, extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase (ERK), and c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). This novel peptide offers an attractive approach to develop functional foods.

In this study, a gene encoding serine protease (PmSpr288) from cold-adapted bacterium, namely Planococcus maritimus XJ11, was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Bioinformatics analysis revealed that PmSpr288 belongs to serine protease S8 superfamily with a classical catalytic triad comprised by the Asp49, His86 and Ser251. Moreover, PmSpr288 was found to be active over broad alkaline pH and low-moderate temperature, and exhibited wide range of protein substrate specificity. In addition, PmSpr288 was able to hydrolyze the meat proteins actin and myosin, and molecular docking results suggested that the crucial interaction between PmSpr288 and actin/myosin complexes was mainly occupied by hydrogen bonds. The muscle protein hydrolysates of silver carp prepared by PmSpr288 was shown to have antioxidant activity via DPPH radical scavenging assay, which presented an IC₅₀ valve of 1.309 mg/mL. In conclusion, these characteristics imply that PmSpr288 has potential biotechnological application prospect for the production of bioactive peptides.

Shrimp sauce, one of the traditional salt-fermented food in China, has a unique flavor that is influenced by the resident microflora. The quality of salt-fermented shrimp sauce was evaluated in this work by determining the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), the amino acid nitrogen (AAN), organic acid, 5’-nucleotide and free amino acids (FAA). Moreover, the dynamics of microbial diversity during processing was investigated by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that the AAN, TVB-N, organic acid, 5’-nucleotide and FAA content were in range of 0.93–1.42 g/100mL, 49.91–236.27 mg/100mL, 6.65–20.68 mg/mL, 3.51–6.56 mg/mL and 81.27–102.90 mg/mL. Among the microbial diversity found in the shrimp sauce, Tetragenococcus, Flavobacterium, Polaribacter, Haematospirillum and Staphylococcus were the predominant genera. Correlation analysis indicated that the bacteria Tetragenococcus and Staphylococcus were important in the formation of non-volatile compounds. Tetragenococcus positively correlated with a variety of FAAs; Staphylococcus positively correlated with 5’-nucleotides. The analysis indicated that Tetragenococcus and Staphylococcus were the core genera affecting non-volatile components. These findings indicate the dynamics of the bacterial community and non-volatile components inter-relationships during shrimp sauce fermentation and provide a theoretical basis for improving the fermentation process of shrimp sauce.

Traditionally fermented shrimp paste has a long fermentation period and is susceptible of external factors, which leads to unstable quality and limits its development and application. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the flavor changes in the shrimp paste fermentation process and screen out the key volatile aroma components in the shrimp paste to control the flavor quality of the shrimp paste products. The overall odor profile was detected by the electronic nose. A total of 106 volatile flavor compounds in the shrimp paste samples at different fermentation stages were identified by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) and headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). The main aroma components alcohols, aldehydes, pyrazines and other substances in the fermentation process showed an overall upward trend. A total of 17 key volatile aroma components in shrimp paste at different fermentation stages were identified by the relative aroma activity value (ROAV) method. The combination of electronic nose, SPME-GC-MS and HS-GC-IMS could comprehensively reflect the changes of volatile components in shrimp paste at different fermentation stages, which helps to further understand the mechanism of shrimp paste flavor formation and provides a basis for the regulation of the flavor quality of shrimp paste products.