People living long-term in areas with UV will cause premature photoaging. An abnormal reduction in autophagy is a key feature of photoaging, and p38MAPK has been regarded as a key regulator of autophagy. Isothiocyanate is one of the main active components of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds. Studies have reported that MITC has anticancer, anti-inflammatory, cardiometabolic repair, nervous system protection, blood lipid regulation and diabetes prevention properties. However, the molecular mechanisms of MITC with protective effects against skin photoaging have not been studied thus far. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the antiphotoaging activity of MITC and to investigate the effect of p38MAPK-dependent autophagy in vivo and in vitro models of photoaging. In this research we found that MITC can reverse the intracellular ROS content and inhibit the activation of p38MAPK to improve the autophagy level, reduce the expression of MMPs, and finally protect against photoaging by UV. Our results will uncover the molecular mechanisms of MITC that play a role in the protective effects against skin photoaging, provide helpful information for developing MITC as an ant-photoaging plant material and improve the utilization of Moringa oleifera Lam. seeds.

Moringa oleifera(M. oleifera) have laxative effects, but their active compositions and mechanisms are not very clear thus far. To this end, we systematically explored the active components and mechanism of M. oleifera leaves in relieving constipation by using the slow transit constipation (STC) mouse model and network pharmacology. The results of animal experiments showed that M. oleifera aqueous extract (MOA) had good laxative activity, and its 70% alcohol soluble part (ASP) also showed significant laxative activity(P < 0.01). Network pharmacological prediction results suggested that L-phenylalanine (Phe) was the key compound of ASP, and it might relieve constipation through tachykinin receptor 1 (TACR1) and three kinds of adrenergic receptors, including alpha-1a (ADRA1A), alpha-2a (ADRA2A), and alpha-2b (ADRA2B). Further animal experiment results showed that Phe significantly promoted gastrointestinal motility. Phe may relieve STC by enhancing the release of substance P (SP) and upregulating the mRNA expression of TACR1 in the ileum. Importantly, Phe may also promote intestinal movement by downregulating ADRA2A and ADRA2B and upregulating calmodulin and the mRNA and protein expression of myosin light chain 9 (MYL9) in the ileum, thereby activating the GPCR-MLC signaling pathway. These results lay a foundation for the application of M. oleifera and Phe in constipation.

Walnut dreg protein hydrolysates (WDPHs) exhibit a variety of biological activities, however, the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitory peptide of WDPHs remain unclear. The aim of this study was to rapidly screen for such peptides in WDPHs through a combination of in silico and in vitro analysis. In total, 1262 peptide sequences were observed by nano liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (nano LC-MS/MS) and 4 novel COX-2 inhibitory peptides (AGFP, FPGA, LFPD, and VGFP) were identif ied. Enzyme kinetic data indicated that AGFP, FPGA, and LFPD displayed mixed-type COX-2 inhibition, whereas VGFP was a non-competitive inhibitor. This is mainly because the peptides form hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions with residues in the COX-2 active site. These results demonstrate that computer analysis combined with in vitro evaluation allows for rapid screening of COX-2 inhibitory peptides in walnut protein dregs.