Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is widely consumed as a health food and a traditional medicine. However, the protective effect of dandelion bio-active peptides (DPs) against polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-induced blood vessel inflammation and oxidative damage is not well documented. In the current study, four novel DPs were isolated using an activity tracking method. The protective activity of the DPs against benzo(a)pyrene (Bap)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) damage was explored. The results indicated that DP-2 [cycle-(Thr-His-Ala-Trp)] effectively inhibited Bap-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) overproduction and reinforced antioxidant enzyme activity while inhibiting the production of inflammatory factors in HUVECs. Moreover, DP-2 increased NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase-1, and nuclear factor E2-releated factor 2 expression levels by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In addition, DP-2 attenuated Bap-induced HUVEC apoptosis via the Bcl-2/Bax/cytochrome c apoptotic pathway. These results suggest that DP-2 is a promising compound for protecting HUVECs from Bap-induced inflammatory and oxidative damage.

中文翻译：

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蒲公英 (Taraxacum officinale) 肽对苯并 (a) 芘诱导的人脐静脉内皮细胞氧化应激和炎症的改善作用

蒲公英 ( Taraxacum officinale ) 作为保健食品和传统药物被广泛食用。然而，蒲公英生物活性肽 (DPs) 对多环芳烃引起的血管炎症和氧化损伤的保护作用尚未得到充分证实。在当前的研究中，使用活动跟踪方法隔离了四个新的 DP。DPs对苯并( a )的保护活性)芘 (Bap) 诱导的人脐静脉内皮细胞 (HUVEC) 损伤进行了探索。结果表明，DP-2 [cycle-(Thr-His-Ala-Trp)] 有效抑制 Bap 诱导的活性氧 (ROS) 和丙二醛 (MDA) 过量产生并增强抗氧化酶活性，同时抑制炎症因子的产生血管内皮细胞。此外，DP-2 通过激活 PI3K/Akt 信号通路增加 NAD(P)H：醌氧化还原酶 1、血红素加氧酶 1 和核因子 E2 相关因子 2 的表达水平。此外，DP-2 通过 Bcl-2/Bax/细胞色素 c 凋亡途径减弱 Bap 诱导的 HUVEC 凋亡。这些结果表明 DP-2 是一种很有前途的化合物，可用于保护 HUVEC 免受 Bap 诱导的炎症和氧化损伤。