Thermally　resistant　peptides　were　obtained　from　enzymatical　hydrolysis　of　Hongqu　rice　distiller’s　grains　and　evaluated　for　its　effect　on　resistance　to　thermally　induced　oxidative　stress　in　Saccharomyces　cerevisiae.　Various　proteases　were　screened　for　the　survival　rate　of　S.　cerevisiae　under　heat　stress.　The　enzymatic　hydrolysis　conditions　were　optimized　based　on　the　yield　of　thermally　resistant　peptides,　and　the　peptides　were　identified　by　mass　spectroscopy　and　its　antioxidant　activity　was　investigated.　The　expression　of　genes　in　the　pentose　phosphate　pathway　and　the　contents　of　intracellular　coenzyme,　glutathione　(GSH)　and　reactive　oxygen　species　(ROS)　were　analyzed　to　explore　the　protective　effects　of　the　peptides　on　S.　cerevisiae　from　heat-induced　oxidative　stress.　The　results　indicated　that　the　optimal　enzymatic　hydrolysis　conditions　were　as　follows:　Hongqu　rice　distiller’s　grains/water　ratio　1:10,　hydrolysis　temperature　50　℃,　hydrolysis　time　3　h,　protamex　dosage　3　000　U/g,　and　pH　8.5.　Under　these　conditions,　the　yield　of　thermally　resistant　peptides　was　62.44%,　and　the　survival　rate　of　S.　cerevisiae　in　the　presence　of　the　prepared　peptides　under　heat　stress　was　73.97%,　which　was　22.76%　higher　than　that　of　the　control　group　(pure　water).　Sequence　identification　showed　that　16　out　of　the　top　20　most　abundant　peptides　had　hydrophobic　amino　acid　contents　of　over　50%.　The　peptides　exhibited　1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl　(DPPH)　and　2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic　acid　(ABTS)　cation　radical　scavenging　activity　with　a　half-maximal　effective　concentration　(EC50)　of　4.53　and　1.82　mg/mL,　respectively,　indicating　good　antioxidant　activity.　Besides,　the　thermally　resistant　peptides　upregulated　gene　expression　in　the　pentose　phosphate　pathway,　elevated　NADH　kinase　activity,　increased　GSH　content　by　5.74　times,　and　restored　intracellular　ROS　to　almost　the　same　level　as　before　heat　stress　treatment,　thus　enhancing　resistance　to　heat-induced　oxidative　stress　in　S.　cerevisiae.　©　2024　Chinese　Chamber　of　Commerce.　All　rights　reserved.