
LI ET AL.821
1INTRODUCTION
In recent years, improved living standards and the rapidly aging popu-
lation have contributed to the increasing prevalence of hypertension,
thus significantly negatively impacting lives. The International Soci-
ety of Hypertension in 2020 announced at its annual conference that
approximately 1 billion individuals globally suffer from hypertension,
accounting for 26% of the adult population. Angiotensin-converting
enzyme inhibitory peptides (ACEIPs) are polypeptides known for
their inhibitory effects on ACE (Santiago et al., 2023). They typically
comprise 2–20 amino acid residues. ACEIPs can prevent the forma-
tion of angiotensin II and promote the production of bradykinin and
enkephalin by binding to ACE, thus exhibiting antihypertensive effects
(Grden & Jakubczyk, 2023; Ramlal et al., 2023;Ren,2021). Some
researchers suggest that ACEIPs derived from food sources can poten-
tially serve as alternative therapies for patients with hypertension or
related disorders (Chang et al., 2023; Kralova et al., 2023; Yang et al.,
2023).
Peanut meal (Arachis hypogaea Linn), a byproduct from peanut oil
extraction, is a rich source of plant protein with protein content
exceeding 50%. However, limitations in their oil extraction technolo-
gies significantly denature the protein in peanut meal, thus restricting
its application in food processing (Hu et al., 2019; Li et al., 2020).
Studies have shown that microbial fermentation can influence the pro-
tein molecular structure, and various microbes can produce different
enzyme systems and functional factors (Hu et al., 2023; Zambrano-
Cervantes et al., 2023). L. pentosus are premium lactic acid bacteria that
can ferment pentose sugars to produce high levels of lactic acid; this
creates a fermentation microenvironment conducive to their growth
(Garcia-Gonzalez et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2023). In addition, L. pento-
sus produce various enzymes to hydrolyze proteins, endowing peanut
proteins with improved nutrition and flavor profiles (Zhang et al.,
2020, 2023). Studies have shown that L. pentosus can produce quorum-
sensing auto-inducing peptides with a molecular weight of less than
3000 Da and is highly hydrophobic (Suo et al., 2022; Zhang et al.,
2015). The ACE inhibitory peptide has certain similarities in structure,
that is, it contains more hydrophobic amino acids and aromatic amino
acids, such as anti-oxidized peptide contains Pro (P) and Tyr (Y), the
N-terminal of the ACE inhibitory peptide contains Val (V), Ile (I), and
Leu (L), and the C-terminal contains Val (V), Ala (A), and Phe (F) or Pro
(P) residues, when the N-terminus is hydrophobic valine (Val), leucine
(Leu), isoleucine (Ile), or the basic amino acid arginine (Arg). The pep-
tides of lysine (Lys) and histidine (His) have strong affinity with ACE
and have the highest ACE inhibitory activity (Qiao et al., 2022). The use
of L. pentosus to ferment peanut meal and produce functional factors,
including ACEIPs, is a promising strategy for developing food–medicine
homologous dietary supplements (Ou et al., 2011). The application of
L. pentosus is a promising strategy for extending the peanut industry
chain, adding value to peanut byproducts, and enhancing the economic
benefits of the peanut industry (Li et al., 2019).
In this research, we used L. pentosus to ferment defatted peanut
meal. Using ACE inhibitory activity as an experimental metric, we
explored the production process of peanut meal ACEIPs. Matrix-
assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and
liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)
were concurrently applied for separating, purifying, and identifying
inhibitory peptides. This study aimed to provide technical support for
the deep processing of defatted peanut meal and the comprehensive
utilization of peanut protein.
2METHODS
2.1 Activation and cultivation of Lactobacillus
pentosus
The De Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) liquid medium was formulated with
1% peptone, 0.5% yeast extract, 0.2% diammonium citrate, 2% glucose,
0.3% sodium acetate, 0.2% dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, 0.058%
magnesium sulfate, 0.025% manganese sulfate, 1% beef extract, and
0.1% Tween 80. The medium was sterilized using an autoclave (MLS-
3781L-PC, Shanghai Medical Nuclear Inst.) at 115◦C for 20 min.
Afterward, the medium was stored at room temperature for subse-
quent use. Strains previously stored at −80◦C in the preservation
tubes of the laboratory were retrieved and inoculated into 50 mL of
the prepared MRS liquid activation medium. This culture was then
incubated at 37◦C for 24 h in a biochemical constant temperature incu-
bator (ZWYR-D2403, Shanghai Zhicheng Analytical Inst. Co., Ltd.) and
reserved for future procedures.
2.2 Production process of ACE inhibitory
peptides (ACEIP) from peanut meal
Equal masses of peanut meal and distilled water were mixed and steril-
ized in an autoclave at 121◦C for 15 min and then cooled to 25◦C. The
sterilized peanut meal was fermented under the following conditions.
After the peanut meal was fermented, the mixture was centrifuged at
10,000 ×gfor 20 min at 4◦C. Drawing from the approach adopted by
Sun et al. (2019), we designed and implemented a single-factor test for
ACE inhibitory peptides.
2.2.1 Single-factor experiment
Inoculation rate: Under laminar flow hood conditions, different inoc-
ulation rates of L. pentosus broth (1%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 9%) were
introduced in the samples. The samples were incubated at 32◦Cina
shaker incubator at 200 ×g for 48 h.
Duration: Under laminar flow hood conditions, 5% of the volume of
the L. pentosus broth was introduced in the sample. Then, the mixture
was incubated at 32◦C in a shaker incubator at 200 ×gfor different
times: 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 h.
Temperature: Under laminar flow hood conditions, a 5% inoculation
rate of L. pentosus broth was introduced in the samples. The mixture
was incubated in a shaker incubator at 200 ×gfor 48 h at different
temperatures: 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36◦C.
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