Graduate Studies

 

First Advisor

Kaustav Majumder

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Committee Members

Amanda Ramer-Tait, Devin Rose, Kent Eskridge, Sophie Alvarez

Department

Food Science and Technology

Date of this Version

8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Citation

A dissertation presented to the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Food Science and Technology

Under the supervision of Professor Kaustav Majumder

Lincoln, Nebraska, August 2025

Comments

Copyright 2025, Emerson David Nolasco. Used by permission

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide in which hypertension is a risk factor. Present pharmacological interventions require long-term adherence to the therapy and are often associated with undesirable side effects. Moreover, treatments have overlooked the role of the microbiome in the development of hypertension. Egg white hydrolysate (EWH) has exhibited antihypertensive properties with potential to be used as a natural alternative for the prevention and management of hypertension. However, EWH peptide’s effect on the gut microbiome remains yet to be elucidated. Studies have described that a portion of the ingested protein can remain undigested as digestion-resistant proteins and peptides (GI-U) which could reach the colon. This dissertation elucidates EWH simultaneously modulation of hypertension mechanisms through in vitro and in vivo models. EWH ACE-inhibition was confirmed in vitro, and it was able to reduce inflammation markers as VCAM-1 (750 µg/mL) and ICAM-1 (100 µg/mL) in endothelial cells. Fermentation of EWH digestion resistant fraction increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production with lower detrimental metabolites compared to peptone in vitro. EWH also acted on inflammation and RAAS markers in vivo by reducing VCAM-1 and increasing MasR expression, involved in vasodilation, in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) aorta when administered at 1,000 mg/kg BW. Taxonomic analysis of the microbiome elucidated the presence of SCFA taxa at a genus level, being Phascolarctobacterium common during the in vitro and in vivo studies. The dissertation also pioneered the evaluation of SHR EWH-modulated microbiome on the modulation of high blood pressure in a normotensive model. The EWH-modulated microbiome did not induce an increase in blood pressure compared to the SHR control microbiome. Hence, the findings support EWH as a holistic preventive strategy for hypertension by simultaneously modulating its mechanisms while harnessing the gut microbiome to enhance its anti-hypertensive capacity.

Advisor: Kaustav Majumder

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