Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Hippocampus abdominalis Regulates the Skeletal Muscle Growth in C2C12 Cells and Zebrafish Model

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe effects of enzymatic hydrolysates of Hippocampus abdominalis on skeletal muscle growth in C2C12 myoblasts and zebrafish were investigated. The hydrolysates were prepared by enzymatic extraction using digestive proteases (trypsin and pepsin) and food grade proteases (Neutrase, Protamex, Alcalase, Kojizyme, and Flavourzyme). Among them, the Alcalase hydrolysate of H. abodminalis (AHHA) exhibited the highest muscle cell proliferation compared to other hydrolysates and aqueous extract. Moreover, AHHA treatment significantly increased creatine kinase (CK) activity and glycogen levels in the cells, which are indicators of skeletal muscle mass. In addition, AHHA downregulated the myostatin–Smad pathway, acting as a negative regulator, and upregulated the IGF-1-Akt pathway, acting as a positive regulator. In the zebrafish model, moreover, the administration of AHHA significantly enhanced the endurance against water flow and slope without training performance. These results suggested that AHHA would be a new functional food material from marine animals to grow muscle cells and to enhance muscular exercise capacity.