Black soybean-derived peptides exerted protective effect against alcohol-induced liver injury in mice

Alcoholic liver disease is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases that causes high morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study demonstrated the protective potential of Alcalase-black soybean-derived peptides (BSPs) against alcohol-induced liver injury in mice. BSPs were rich in oligopeptides (80%, w/w, <1,996 Da) and Lys. The median and high doses of BSPs (400–800 mg/kg·bw) decreased the levels of AST, ALT in serum. Only high dose of BSPs decreased the triglyceride content to normal level (P > 0.05). All treatments significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the creatinine level compared to the model group. The histopathological examination further confirmed the protective effect of BSPs. This protective effect is possibly attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of BSPs due to the increased levels of GSH, SOD and CAT and decreased contents of MDA, IL-6 and IL-1β compared to those of model group.