Olive mill by‐products, derived from the extraction of virgin olive oil (VOO), have been demonstrated to be a source of bioactive compounds such as phenols, fibres and proteins. The protein fraction of these by‐products has been scarcely studied, although it could be used to obtain protein hydrolysates, which are pools of peptides with potential bioactivity. In this study, the immunomodulatory properties of synthesised peptides (RPVPPVF, LQFCCY, DCHYFL, LFSGGES and LTPTSN) identified in the literature from VOO and its by‐products were evaluated by measuring the gene expression of pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines and related markers, such as IL‐6, TNF‐α, IL10, IL‐4 and the TLR4 receptor. These results suggest that the selected peptides exert immunomodulatory effect in vitro. ADME profiles were evaluated to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of the peptides, and their potential antihypertensive activity was also predicted. Furthermore, molecular docking analyses of the peptides with the TLR4/MD2 receptor and the angiotensin‐converting enzyme showed binding affinities ranging from −2.8 to −7.2 kcal/mol and from −13.5 to −17.4 kcal/mol, respectively. These findings are consistent with the experimental observations regarding their immunomodulatory activity. Overall, our findings suggest that these peptides possess potential immunomodulatory properties in cells, thus emphasising the potential of VOO by‐products as a source of bioactive compounds for the development of nutritional strategies targeting immune‐related disorders. Further research on the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects and additional in vivo studies are required to establish the potential health benefits of these peptides.
Rosa et al. (Thu,) studied this question.