Optimization of pine nut (Pinus koraiensis) meal protein peptides on immunocompetence in innate and adaptive immunity response aspects

Abstract

Pine nut (Pinus koraiensis) meal protein peptides (PNMPP), a kind of Korean pine seed oil by-products, were often considered as waste disposal in food industry. In the present study, we found that 3–10 kDa PNMPP could enhance immunity of ICR mice at 100 mg·(kg·d)−1 both in innate and in adaptive immunity. In innate immunity, PNMPP of 3–10 kDa at 100 mg·(kg·d)−1 could enhance the abdominal macrophage phagocytosis of mice at 30.22% and the phagocytosis index of carbon clearance significantly (P