Discovery and application of food catalysts to promote the coupling of PQQ (quinone) with amines

BackgroundBiocatalysts (enzymes) play a crucial role in catalyzing specific reactions across various industries, often offering environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to chemical catalysts. However, their catalytic activities are susceptible to denaturation. In this study, we present the discovery of novel protein-based biocatalysts derived from processed foods, including skimmed milk, soy milk, cheese, and dried tofu. These food catalysts exhibit high availability, low cost, safety, and thermo-stability.ResultsFocusing on the physiologically intriguing coenzyme pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), we observed that the reaction with glycine to form imidazolopyrroquinoline (IPQ) did not proceed efficiently when PQQ was present at very low concentrations. Surprisingly, in the presence of protein-based foods, this reaction was significantly accelerated. Notably, skimmed milk enhanced the PQQ detection limit (600 times lower) during high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following IPQ derivatization. Milk appears to facilitate the reaction between PQQ and various amino acids, primary amines, and secondary amines. Further investigations revealed that food catalysis operates through a non-enzymatic mechanism. Additionally, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that milk components interacted with amino substrates due to the ability of amines to react with quinones on colloidal surfaces.ConclusionThese practical food catalysts not only contribute to environmental safety but also hold significance across diverse scientific domains. Non-enzymatic protein catalysts find applications in biocatalysis, organic synthesis, food technology, analytical chemistry, and fundamental nutritional and evolutionary studies

Ultrasensitive determination of pyrroloquinoline quinone in human plasma by HPLC with chemiluminescence detection using the redox cycle of quinone

A fast, accurate, and ultrasensitive high-performance liquid chromatography method with chemiluminescence detection (HPLC-CL) was optimized and validated for the determination of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) concentration in human plasma following solid-phase extraction (SPE). This method is based on the redox cycle of the reaction between PQQ and dithiothreitol, which generates reactive oxygen species that can be detected using luminol as a CL probe. The isocratic HPLC system comprised an ODS column and 4.0 mM tetra-n-butylammonium bromide in Tris-HNO3 buffer (pH 8.8; 50 mM)-acetonitrile (7:3, v/v) as mobile phase. A novel, rapid, and simple SPE method was also developed providing excellent %recovery (?95.2%) for PQQ from human plasma samples. The proposed method was linear over the range of 4.0?400 nmol/L plasma of PQQ with a lower detection limit (S/N=3) of 1.08 nmol/L plasma (0.27 nM). The method was successfully implemented to determine PQQ concentration in the plasma of healthy individuals after administration of PQQ supplements

The effects of PQQ on brain function

Pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium salt (PQQ) is a red trihydrate crystal that was approved as a new food ingredient by FDA in 2008. Now, it is approved as a food in Japan and the EU. PQQ has redox properties and exerts antioxidant, neuroprotective, and mitochondrial biogenesis effects. The baseline intake level of PQQ is considered to be 20 mg / day. PQQ ingestion lowers blood lipid peroxide levels in humans, suggesting antioxidant activity. In the field of cognitive function, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have been conducted. Various improvements have been reported regarding general memory, verbal memory, working memory, and attention. Furthermore, a stratified analysis of a population with a wide range of ages revealed unique effects in young people (20–40 years old) that were not observed in older adults (41–65 years old). Specifically, cognitive flexibility and executive speed improved more rapidly in young people at 8 weeks. Co-administration of PQQ and coenzyme Q10 further enhanced these effects. In an open-label trial, PQQ was shown to improve sleep and mood. Additionally, PQQ was found to suppress skin moisture loss and increase PGC-1α expression. Overall, PQQ is a food with various functions, including brain health benefits

Dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone hinders aging progression in male mice and D-galactose-induced cells

Background: Understanding and promoting healthy aging has become a necessity in the modern world, where life expectancy is rising. The prospective benefits of the antioxidant pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in healthy aging are promising. However, its role in aging remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of PQQ on preventing the progression of aging and to explore its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods: Naturally aged C57BL/6J male mice were fed a normal diet with or without PQQ (20 mg/kg/day) for 10 weeks. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance at weeks 0 and 8. The integument conditions were evaluated at weeks 0, 4, and 8. Muscle strength and function were examined at week 8. At the ninth week, computed tomography images of the mice were captured, and blood and tissue samples were collected. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the gastrocnemius muscle were measured, and the muscle fiber cross-sectional area in the soleus muscle was examined. Additionally, a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced cell aging model was used to study the effects of PQQ intervention on cell proliferation, senescence, differentiation, ROS levels, and mitochondrial function in myoblasts (C2C12). Cell proliferation and monolayer permeability of D-gal-induced intestinal epithelial cells (IEC6) were also examined.Results: Aged mice suffered from malnutrition; however, PQQ supplementation ameliorated this effect, possibly by improving metabolic dysfunction and small intestinal performance. PQQ prevented rapid loss of body fat and body fluid accumulation, attenuated muscle atrophy and weakening, reduced chronic inflammation in skeletal muscles, and improved skin and coating conditions in aged mice. Furthermore, PQQ intervention in D-gal-treated C2C12 cells improved mitochondrial function, reduced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and senescence, and enhanced cell differentiation, consequently preventing age-related muscle atrophy. In addition, PQQ increased cell proliferation in D-gal-treated IEC6 cells and consequently improved intestinal barrier function.Conclusion: PQQ could hinder the aging process and particularly attenuate muscle atrophy, and muscle weakness by improving mitochondrial function, leading to reduced age-related oxidative stress and inflammation in muscles. PQQ may also ameliorate malnutrition caused by intestinal barrier dysfunction by enhancing IEC proliferation. This study provides evidence for the role of PQQ in aging and suggests that PQQ may be a potential nutritional supplementation that can be included in healthy aging strategies

From the Kitchen to the Lab: Discovery and Application of Food Catalysts to Promote the Coupling of Quinone with Amines

Biocatalysts are used to catalyze specific reactions in various industries, and they often provide environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to chemical catalysts. Enzymes are well-known examples of biocatalysts; however, their cata-lytic activities are lost upon denaturation. We report the discovery of novel protein-based biocatalysts from processed foods, including skimmed milk, soy milk, cheese, and tofu (dried). Considering the reaction of the physiologically interest-ing pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) dehydrogenase coenzyme with amino acids, it was found that the reaction with gly-cine to form imidazolopyrroquinoline (IPQ) did not proceed when PQQ was present at very low concentrations. In con-trast, in the presence of protein-based foods, this reaction was accelerated, and it even proceeded at significantly lower PQQ concentrations (i.e., 600-times lower). It was also deduced that milk can accelerate the reaction between PQQ and various amino acids, primary amines, and secondary amines. Investigations into the reaction rate revealed that food ca-talysis is a non-enzymatic reaction. Furthermore, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to demonstrate that the components of milk interacted with the amino substrates owing to the ability of amines to react with quinones on colloidal surfaces. Finally, the application of skimmed milk enhanced the PQQ detection limit during HPLC following IPQ derivatization. Such food catalysts therefore show promise in the fields of biocatalysis and food technology

DataSheet1_Dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone hinders aging progression in male mice and D-galactose-induced cells.DOCX

Background: Understanding and promoting healthy aging has become a necessity in the modern world, where life expectancy is rising. The prospective benefits of the antioxidant pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in healthy aging are promising. However, its role in aging remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of PQQ on preventing the progression of aging and to explore its underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods: Naturally aged C57BL/6J male mice were fed a normal diet with or without PQQ (20 mg/kg/day) for 10 weeks. Body composition was measured by bioimpedance at weeks 0 and 8. The integument conditions were evaluated at weeks 0, 4, and 8. Muscle strength and function were examined at week 8. At the ninth week, computed tomography images of the mice were captured, and blood and tissue samples were collected. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the gastrocnemius muscle were measured, and the muscle fiber cross-sectional area in the soleus muscle was examined. Additionally, a D-galactose (D-gal)-induced cell aging model was used to study the effects of PQQ intervention on cell proliferation, senescence, differentiation, ROS levels, and mitochondrial function in myoblasts (C2C12). Cell proliferation and monolayer permeability of D-gal-induced intestinal epithelial cells (IEC6) were also examined.Results: Aged mice suffered from malnutrition; however, PQQ supplementation ameliorated this effect, possibly by improving metabolic dysfunction and small intestinal performance. PQQ prevented rapid loss of body fat and body fluid accumulation, attenuated muscle atrophy and weakening, reduced chronic inflammation in skeletal muscles, and improved skin and coating conditions in aged mice. Furthermore, PQQ intervention in D-gal-treated C2C12 cells improved mitochondrial function, reduced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and senescence, and enhanced cell differentiation, consequently preventing age-related muscle atrophy. In addition, PQQ increased cell proliferation in D-gal-treated IEC6 cells and consequently improved intestinal barrier function.Conclusion: PQQ could hinder the aging process and particularly attenuate muscle atrophy, and muscle weakness by improving mitochondrial function, leading to reduced age-related oxidative stress and inflammation in muscles. PQQ may also ameliorate malnutrition caused by intestinal barrier dysfunction by enhancing IEC proliferation. This study provides evidence for the role of PQQ in aging and suggests that PQQ may be a potential nutritional supplementation that can be included in healthy aging strategies.</p

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone, a Redox-Active <i>o</i>‑Quinone, Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis by Activating the SIRT1/PGC-1α Signaling Pathway

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a redox-active <i>o</i>-quinone found in various foods and mammalian tissues, has received an increasing amount of attention because of a number of health benefits that can be attributed to its ability to enhance mitochondrial biogenesis. However, its underlying molecular mechanism remains incompletely understood. We have now established that the exposure of mouse NIH/3T3 fibroblasts to a physiologically relevant concentration of PQQ significantly stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis. The exposure of NIH/3T3 cells to 10–100 nM PQQ for 48 h resulted in increased levels of Mitotracker staining, mitochondrial DNA content, and mitochondrially encoded cytochrome <i>c</i> oxidase subunit 1 (MTCO1) protein. Moreover, we observed that PQQ treatment induces deacetylation of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ-coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) and facilitates its nuclear translocation and target gene expression but does not affect its protein levels, implying increased activity of the NAD⁺-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Indeed, treatment with a SIRT1 selective inhibitor, EX-527, hampered the ability of PQQ to stimulate PGC-1α-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis. We also found that the PQQ treatment caused a concentration-dependent increase in the cellular NAD⁺ levels, but not the total NAD⁺ and NADH levels. Our results suggest that PQQ-inducible mitochondrial biogenesis can be attributed to activation of the SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway by enhancing cellular NAD⁺ formation

Unusual Ionic Bond and Solubility Mechanism of Na_<i>n</i>PQQ (<i>n</i> = 0–4) Crystals

A comparative study of van der Waals and ionic crystals can provide vital information for the medical and food industries. In this work, we investigated the coenzyme pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which contains three carboxyl groups coupled to imidazole, pyridine, and quinone. Whole-crystal analysis (crystal-ome) was attempted for Na_<i>n</i>PQQ (<i>n</i> = 0–4) crystals. All deprotonation sites were found to be dependent on p<i>K</i>_a except for the Na sites, which cannot be explained by p<i>K</i>_a. The Na₁PQQ crystal exhibited an unusual ionic bond, forming COOH–Na⁺ at one of the carboxyl sites in the structure. The difference in the solubility of the van der Waals and ionic crystals was also investigated, with a focus on the dissolution processes of Na₀PQQ and Na₂PQQ, by combining molecular dynamics simulations with experiments that define the crystal surfaces. This study is the first step toward developing a general rule to link the different types of crystal structures with different dissolution mechanisms and rates