Abstract
With the increasing recognition of the role of immunomodulation and oxidative stress in various diseases, designing peptides with both immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. In this study, a hybridization design was applied as a powerful method to obtain multifunctional peptides. A total of 40 peptides with potential immunomodulatory and antioxidant activities were designed and screened. First, molecular docking was employed to screen peptides with a high binding affinity to MD2, a key receptor protein in the NFκB immune pathway. For the in vitro high-throughput screening, we constructed a reporter gene-based stable cell line, IPEC-J2-Lucia ARE cells, which was subsequently used to screen peptides with antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the biocompatibility, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities of these peptides were assessed. Among the candidates, the hybrid peptide VA exhibited the strongest immune-enhancing activity through the activation of the NF-κB pathway and significant antioxidant activity via the Nrf2-ARE pathway. Additionally, VA demonstrated protective effects against H2O2-induced oxidative damage in HepG2 cells. This study not only demonstrates the potential of peptide hybridization, but also develops a screening platform for multifunctional peptides. It provides a new tool for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and oxidative stress-related diseases.