Edestin (ED), primarily found in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seeds, is a highly nutritious plant storage protein that warrants systematic exploration. Here, we found that ED and its derived peptides (EPP) exhibit strong potential to enhance oxygen consumption and improve exercise endurance in mice. In the investigation, we prepared ED and EPP and then characterized them using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It was found that there are slight shifts and variations in the peak shapes of the amide I and amide II bands in the FT-IR spectrum, indicating that enzymatic hydrolysis alters the secondary structure of the polypeptide chain, such as transforming ordered conformations into random coils. In vitro studies (including total antioxidant capacity, 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity) showed that both ED and EPP exhibited strong antioxidant activity. Animal experiments showed that ED and EPP supplementation improved oxygen consumption and exercise endurance. Mice in the ED group showed a 69% increase in swimming endurance (p < 0.05), while the EPP group showed a 102% increase (p < 0.01). Oxygen consumption per unit body weight was positively correlated with swimming endurance. Hematological analysis revealed increased red blood cell count, hemoglobin concentration, and hematocrit. Biochemical assessments showed higher antioxidant enzyme activity, especially glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), in brain and heart tissues. In conclusion, EPP demonstrates better biological activity than ED after hydrolysis and has broad potential for enhancing aerobic metabolism, antioxidant defenses, and anti-fatigue effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study found that ED protein and its derived peptides (EPP) extracted from hemp seeds showed significant antioxidant properties, which could effectively improve oxygen consumption capacity and exercise endurance. These properties suggest that they could be used to develop functional foods or nutritional supplements to enhance physical strength and anti-fatigue. These ingredients have important application potential in the health food and supplement industry.
Keywords: antioxidant activity; anti‐fatigue ability; hemp (cannabis sativa L.) seeds; oxygen consumption; peptides.
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