Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40647090›Full record

ArticleFoods (Basel, Switzerland)2025

Efficient Hydrolysis of Earthworm Protein and the Lipid-Lowering Mechanism of Peptides in the Hydrolysate.

Mengmeng Zhang, Xiang Mai, Shanghua Yang, Yuhua Huang, Lina Zhang, Wenbin Ren, Weidong Bai, Xuan Xin, Wenhong Zhao, Lisha Hao

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Mengmeng ZhangCollege of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Enineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Xiang MaiCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Shanghua YangCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Yuhua HuangCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Lina ZhangCollege of Food Sciences and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Wenbin RenCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Weidong BaiCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Xuan XinCollege of Light Industry and Food Technology, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1267-2472
Wenhong ZhaoGuangdong Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Lingnan Special Food, Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering, Dongsha Street 24, Guangzhou 510225, China.
Lisha HaoSchool of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China.

Funding

Guangdong Provincial Key Research and Development Project 2022B0202050003Guangdong Rural Science and Technology Commissioner Project KTP20240981Guangzhou Science and Technology Planning Project 2024A04J5161
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Earthworms are valued as a dietary protein source in many regions. Earthworm protein can yield bioactive peptides, but enzymatic hydrolysis is inefficient by commercial proteases, and bioactivity development is still inadequate. This study developed a novel efficient method for degrading earthworm protein and investigated the lipid-lowering activity and mechanism of earthworm peptides. It was found that combining autolysis and alcalase exhibited a higher hydrolysis degree of earthworm protein of 43.64 ± 0.78% compared to using autolysis or alcalase only. The hydrolysate significantly reduced lipid accumulation in steatotic hepatocytes. LC-MS/MS results showed that the primary lipid-lowering peptides (EWPs) in the hydrolysate were small molecule peptides with molecular weights of 500-1000 Da and chain lengths of 4-7 amino acid residues. Western blot results demonstrated that EWP regulated the expression of lipid metabolism-related proteins, including APOC3, HMGCR, PCSK9, SREBP1, C/EBP-α, NPC1L1, PPAR-γ, and CYP7A1. Transcriptomic analysis and validation experiments indicated that the lipid-lowering activity of EWP was associated with its suppression of inflammatory factors, such as IL-6. This study presents an efficient enzymatic hydrolysis strategy for earthworm protein utilization, laying the foundation for its application in functional foods such as protein supplements, nutraceutical capsules, hypoallergenic infant formulas, and sports nutrition products.

Indexed as

autolysisearthworminflammationlipid-lowering activitypeptide

Identifiers

PMID40647090
PMCPMC12249373

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.