Effect of egg white peptides‑selenium chelate against APAP-induced damage in HepG2 cells and C. elegans via Nrf2 signaling.

Overdose of acetaminophen (APAP) can cause severe liver injury, and selenium chelating peptide is a promising treatment strategy. This study optimized the chelation process of sodium selenite with egg white protein-hydrolyzed peptides and obtained two highly active peptides (WHCSeMAQ and FMSeCSeFFV) after ultrafiltration, LC-MS and batch docking screening, which could bind to Keap-1 via hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds, promoting Nrf2 release. The two peptides attenuated APAP-induced liver injury in HepG2 cell by modulating the Nrf2 pathway, enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzyme activities GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD, and decreasing ROS and MDA levels. In addition, egg white peptides‑selenium chelate (EWP-Se) was able to prolong the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, reduce ROS levels, and upregulate SKN-1 target genes to promote GST-4 expression. This study shown selenium-peptides had a great potential as protective agents against liver injury and provided theoretical support for the development of selenium chelated peptide foods with health-promoting properties.