Extraction of balenine from opah (Lampris guttatus) muscle and increase in balenine in human blood after ingestion of opah meat and its extracts

Abstract: The muscle of opah (Lampris guttatus) is the most abundant biological source of balenine (Bal), which along with carnosine (Car) and anserine (Ans), is among the most widely studied imidazole dipeptides in vertebrates. Bal was extracted from the opah muscle using hot water and purified through ion-exchange chromatography and recrystallization to yield 41 g of Bal with >95% purity from 1 kg of opah muscle. The antioxidant properties (oxygen radical absorbance capacity [ORAC] and hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity [HORAC] values) and Fe(II) ion-chelating abilities of the purified Bal were examined in comparison with those of Car and Ans. Opah-derived Bal demonstrated significantly higher ORAC and HORAC values and Fe(II) ion-chelating ability at 0.3 mM. Moreover, changes in the concentrations of Bal and its constituent amino acids in human plasma were examined following the ingestion of opah muscle extract and opah flesh. After ingestion, Bal plasma concentrations increased, with maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of 89.87, 152.13, and 81.82 nmol/mL observed after ingestion of 5 and 10 g of opah muscle extract and 80 g of opah flesh, respectively. The plasma concentrations of Bal’s constituent amino acids, namely, 3-methyl-histidine and β-alanine, increased after ingestion. The Cmax of Bal was the highest among food-derived peptides in human plasma reported to date. The results showed that consuming opah muscle and its extract may be beneficial for human health.