A chicken protein hydrolysate exerts anti-atherosclerotic effect beyond plasma cholesterol-lowering activity in Apoe−/− mice

Chicken protein hydrolysates (CPHs) generated from rest raw materials through enzymatic hydrolysis using Corolase PP or Alcalase were shown to reduce inflammation and stimulate hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in high‐fat‐fed mice. This study investigates the effect of CPH diets in atherosclerosis‐prone apolipoprotein E‐deficient (Apoe−/−) mice. Apoe−/− mice were divided into three groups of 12 animals and fed high‐fat diets with casein (control), Alcalase CPH, or Corolase PP CPH. After 12 weeks, mice were sacrificed, blood samples were collected, and aorta was dissected for subsequent én face analysis. Mice fed Corolase PP CPH but not Alcalase CPH had significantly lower % atherosclerotic plaque area in the aortic arch compared to controls (p = .015 and p = .077, respectively). Plasma and liver cholesterol and triacylglycerol remained constant, but levels of the fatty acid C20:5n‐3 were increased, accompanied by an elevated delta‐5 desaturase index in both CPHs groups. Moreover, a significant reduction of plasma MCP‐1 was detected in Corolase PP CPH compared to control. Overall, our data show that protein hydrolysates from chicken reduced atherosclerosis and attenuated systemic risk factors related to atherosclerotic disorders, not related to changes in the level of plasma cholesterol.