Screening and identification of a novel umami peptide with

Zhongxing Chu, Can Long, Kangjie Xu, Xingjing Zhang, Dandan Qin, Zuomin Hu, Yaping Zhou, Feijun Luo, Qinlu Lin

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Food chemistry: X, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

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0citing 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

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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

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Zhongxing ChuState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Can LongState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Kangjie XuState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Xingjing ZhangState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Dandan QinDongTing Laboratory, Hunan Institute of Agricultural Product Processing and Quality Safety, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, Hunan 410125, China.

Zuomin HuState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Yaping ZhouState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Feijun LuoState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Qinlu LinState Key Laboratory of Woody Oil Resources Utilization, School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China.

Funding

CSRD VA I01 CX000114

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sea cucumber protein was sequentially hydrolyzed with pepsin, trypsin, and enterokinase to obtain peptides with desirable taste characteristics and immunomodulatory potential. Multi-scale characterization, flavoromics, peptidomics, bioinformatic screening, molecular simulations, and cellular assays were employed to investigate the structural changes, flavor remodeling, and bioactivity of the resulting hydrolysates. Results showed that hydrolysis disrupted the compact protein structure, induced conformational unfolding, and yielded short peptides (0.5-1.5 kDa) with enhanced hydrophilicity and processing adaptability. The volatile profile was significantly reshaped, with marked enrichment of aldehydes and heterocyclic compounds. Through multi-dimensional screening, the pentapeptide FDRGF (TH) was identified with outstanding umami taste and low bitterness. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations confirmed stable binding of TH to immunomodulatory targets, and cellular assays verified that TH improved macrophage metabolic status and regulated the expression of inflammatory mediators under LPS-induced inflammatory conditions. This study elucidates the structure-flavor-activity relationships of sea cucumber protein hydrolysates and identifies a dual-function umami peptide with immunomodulatory activity, providing theoretical support for the value-added utilization of sea cucumber resources.

Indexed as

Anti-inflammatory potentialFlavoromicsMolecular simulationSea cucumber peptideUmami peptide

Identifiers

PMID42890196

DOI10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104580

PMCPMC13671053

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata

Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.