Edible Bird's Nest Peptide- an Active Peptide With Potential in Promoting Skin Repair

Abstract

Skin damage and aging are caused by various factors, including UV radiation and air pollution. Edible bird's nest peptide (EBNP) was a type of safe short molecule peptide that could protect the skin by providing anti-oxidation and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the effect of EBNP on pro-tissue regeneration was examined. The findings revealed that EBNP contained epidermal growth factor (EGF) and could stimulate wound healing in cells and zebrafish larvae. The mechanism of skin repairing was further investigated. On the one hand, EBNP increased the synthesis of structural proteins and remodelled the extracellular matrix (ECM) by up-regulating the expression of COL1A1 gene in cells as well as col1a1b, eln1, and eln2 genes in zebrafish larvae. Furthermore, EBNP had an anti-inflammatory effect, as evidenced by its capacity to reduce the production of NO and ROS, as well as the levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α and the count of neutrophils. Therefore, it was suggested that EBNP accelerated wound healing by reducing inflammation, as well as enhancing ECM remodeling through EGF-like activity, including promoting the synthesis of collagen and elastin to quickly mend wounds. It could be concluded that the EBNP had the potential to promote tissue regeneration and skin repair in the fields of food, medicine and cosmetics.