Hepatoprotective effects of high Fischer's ratio oligopeptides from goat whey against CCl4-Induced acute liver injury in mice

This work investigated the protective effects of high Fischer's ratio oligopeptides from goat (Capra hircus) whey protein (HFO) against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in vivo and their underlying mechanism of action. The results showed that HFO inhibited the rise of serum transaminases (including alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), leading to an increase in the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and inhibition of malondialdehyde content, thus ameliorating the CCl4-induced liver lesions. Moreover, the levels of cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β decreased significantly, indicating that HFO alleviates the CCl4-induced inflammatory response by reducing the levels of inflammatory factors in mice. Additionally, Western blot analysis showed that HFO treatment significantly promoted the expression of IkappaB-alpha antibody and inhibited the expression of phosphorylated p65, suggesting that the anti-inflammatory activity is one of the reasons for the hepatoprotective effects of HFO. In conclusion, HFO can potentially be used as a component of functional foods with a particular focus on treating chemical liver injury.