Evaluation of the antioxidant activity of the puerarin - β - lactoglobulin complex in vitro and in vivo

This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities of puerarin (PUE) and β-lactoglobulin (β-lg). The results of the in vitro antioxidant assay revealed that the DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates of the PUE/β-lg complex were generally superior to those of free PUE within the tested experimental concentration range. The in vivo antioxidant activity assay, using Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) as a model organism, showed that the PUE/β-lg complex significantly increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) content in C. elegans, and also increased the mean lifespan of C. elegans under oxidative and thermal stress conditions. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the PUE/β-lg complex regulated the mRNA expression levels of genes associated with the activation of various signaling pathways, such as the longevity regulation pathway, insulin signaling pathway, and GSH metabolism. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of the PUE/β-lg complex as an antioxidant, which can lead to its development into food products or pharmaceuticals.