Combination of Walnut Peptide and Casein Peptide alleviates anxiety and improves memory in anxiety mices

Qinxi Li; Xiuzhen Jia; Qixing Zhong; Zhihui Zhong; Yu Wang; Cheng Tang; Bangcheng Zhao; Haotian Feng; Jingyu Hao; Zifu Zhao; Jian He; Yingqian Zhang

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1273531

Combination of Walnut Peptide and Casein Peptide alleviates anxiety and improves memory in anxiety mices

Front Nutr. 2023 Oct 6:10:1273531. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1273531. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Qinxi Li^{1

2}, Xiuzhen Jia^{3

4}, Qixing Zhong^{1

2}, Zhihui Zhong^{1

2}, Yu Wang¹, Cheng Tang¹, Bangcheng Zhao^{1

2}, Haotian Feng^{3

4}, Jingyu Hao^{3

4}, Zifu Zhao^{3

4}, Jian He^{3

4}, Yingqian Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Nonhuman Primate Disease Modeling Research, Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
³ Inner Mongolia Dairy Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., Hohhot, China.
⁴ Yili Innovation Center, Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd., Hohhot, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Anxiety disorders continue to prevail as the most prevalent cluster of mental disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibiting substantial detrimental effects on individuals' overall well-being and functioning. Even after a search spanning over a decade for novel anxiolytic compounds, none have been approved, resulting in the current anxiolytic medications being effective only for a specific subset of patients. Consequently, researchers are investigating everyday nutrients as potential alternatives to conventional medicines. Our prior study analyzed the antianxiety and memory-enhancing properties of the combination of Walnut Peptide (WP) and Casein Peptide (CP) in zebrafish.

Methods and results: Based on this work, our current research further validates their effects in mice models exhibiting elevated anxiety levels through a combination of gavage oral administration. Our results demonstrated that at 170 + 300 mg human dose, the WP + CP combination significantly improved performances in relevant behavioral assessments related to anxiety and memory. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the combination restores neurotransmitter dysfunction observed while monitoring Serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), and acetylcholine (ACh) levels. This supplementation also elevated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA, indicating protective effects against the neurological stresses of anxiety. Additionally, there were strong correlations among behavioral indicators, BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and numerous neurotransmitters.

Conclusion: Hence, our findings propose that the WP + CP combination holds promise as a treatment for anxiety disorder. Besides, supplementary applications are feasible when produced as powdered dietary supplements or added to common foods like powder, yogurt, or milk.

Keywords: anxiety; casein peptide; memory-improving; neurotrophic factor; serotonin; walnut peptide.