Thermal-Enzymatic Production of Egg Yolk-Derived Osteogenic Peptides for Promoting Adolescent Bone Growth

Protein-rich byproducts from food processing serve as
promising
sources for the generation of bioactive peptides with health-promoting
properties, including the regulation of osteoblast proliferation and
bone formation. Defatted egg yolk powder, a nutrient-dense natural
matrix, is rich in bioactive precursors. However, the high phosphorylation
and compact tertiary structure of its constituent proteins hinder
the efficient release of osteogenic peptides. Here, we developed a
thermal-enzymatic approach to efficiently produce hydrolyzed egg yolk
peptide (YPEP) with enhanced bone-anabolic activity. YPEP enhanced
bone development in adolescent models by activating osteoblasts, driving
longitudinal growth, and improving trabecular microstructure. Proteomic
profiling identified an osteogenic peptide, namely FRTPPFGGF (FR9),
which targets the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). FR9 markedly
enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of murine MC3T3-E1
preosteoblasts. These findings underscore the osteogenic potential
of YPEP and suggest the use of FR9 as a promising functional ingredient
for promoting bone development during adolescence.

食品加工产生的富含蛋白质的副产物，是制备具有健康促进功效的生物活性肽（bioactive peptides）的极具潜力的原料，这类生物活性肽可调控成骨细胞（osteoblasts）增殖与骨形成过程。脱脂蛋黄粉（defatted egg yolk powder）作为一种营养丰富的天然基质，富含生物活性前体物质。然而，其组成蛋白的高磷酸化修饰与紧密的三级结构，阻碍了成骨肽（osteogenic peptides）的高效释放。本研究开发了一种热酶解法（thermal-enzymatic approach），可高效制备水解蛋黄肽（hydrolyzed egg yolk peptide，YPEP），该产物具有更强的骨合成代谢活性（bone-anabolic activity）。YPEP可通过激活成骨细胞、促进骨骼纵向生长以及改善骨小梁微结构（trabecular microstructure），促进青春期动物模型的骨发育。蛋白质组学分析（proteomic profiling）鉴定出一种成骨肽FRTPPFGGF（FR9），其靶点为表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor，EGFR）。FR9可显著促进小鼠MC3T3-E1前成骨细胞（preosteoblasts）的增殖与分化。上述研究结果证实了YPEP的成骨潜能，并提示FR9可作为一种极具应用前景的功能性成分，用于促进青春期阶段的骨发育。