Inhibitory Effects of Peptide Lunasin in Colorectal Cancer HCT-116 Cells and Their Tumorsphere-Derived Subpopulation

"Top-down" overexpression optimization of butelase-1 in Escherichia coli and its application in anti-tumor peptides

Butelase-1, the fastest known Asn/Asp-specific peptide ligase capable of catalyzing peptide ligation and cyclization, holds promising application prospects in the fields of food and biology. However, limited research exists on its recombinant expression and potential applications in peptide drugs. In this study, the activity of recombinantly-produced butelase-1 was enhanced by co-expressing it with a molecular chaperone in the SHuffle T7 strain. By introducing single or multiple synonymous rare codons at the beginning of the coding regions of beta-strand or alpha-helix, in combination with ribosomal binding site engineering, the activity of butelase-1 could be further improved. Consequently, the butelase-1 with a specific activity of 386.93 U/mg and a catalytic efficiency of 11,048 M-1 s-1 was successfully prepared in E. coli, resulting in a total activity of 8183.54 U/L and a yield of about 100 mg/L. This optimized butelase-1 was then used to efficiently cyclize the redesigned anti-cancer peptide lunasin, leading to enhanced bioavailability and anti-cancer effects. Overall, this study not only provided valuable biotechnology strategies for improving the recombinant expression of butelase-1 but also demonstrated a successful application for enhancing the biological efficacy of anti-cancer peptides.

Bioactive peptides: an alternative therapeutic approach for cancer management

Cancer is still considered a lethal disease worldwide and the patients' quality of life is affected by major side effects of the treatments including post-surgery complications, chemo-, and radiation therapy. Recently, new therapeutic approaches were considered globally for increasing conventional cancer therapy efficacy and decreasing the adverse effects. Bioactive peptides obtained from plant and animal sources have drawn increased attention because of their potential as complementary therapy. This review presents a contemporary examination of bioactive peptides derived from natural origins with demonstrated anticancer, ant invasion, and immunomodulation properties. For example, peptides derived from common beans, chickpeas, wheat germ, and mung beans exhibited antiproliferative and toxic effects on cancer cells, favoring cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. On the other hand, peptides from marine sources showed the potential for inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. In this review we will discuss these data highlighting the potential befits of these approaches and the need of further investigations to fully characterize their potential in clinics.

Anti-Cancer Properties of Flaxseed Proteome

Flaxseed has been recognized as a valuable source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, including proteins that possess various health benefits. In recent years, studies have shown that flaxseed proteins, including albumins, globulins, glutelin, and prolamins, possess anti-cancer properties. These properties are attributed to their ability to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and interfere with cancer cell signaling pathways, ultimately leading to the inhibition of metastasis. Moreover, flaxseed proteins have been reported to modulate cancer cell mechanobiology, leading to changes in cell behavior and reduced cancer cell migration and invasion. This review provides an overview of the anti-cancer properties of flaxseed proteins, with a focus on their potential use in cancer treatment. Additionally, it highlights the need for further research to fully establish the potential of flaxseed proteins in cancer therapy.

Synergistic Chemopreventive Effects of a Novel Combined Plant Extract Comprising Gallic Acid and Hesperidin on Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer with a high mortality rate worldwide. Although gallic acid and hesperidin exert anticancer activity, synergistic effects of gallic acid and hesperidin against CRC remain elusive. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of a novel combination of gallic acid and hesperidin against CRC cell growth, including cell viability, cell-cycle-associated proteins, spheroid formation, and stemness.

METHODS

Gallic acid and hesperidin derived from Hakka pomelo tea (HPT) were detected by colorimetric methods and high-performance liquid chromatography using ethyl acetate as an extraction medium. CRC cell lines (HT-29 and HCT-116) treated with the combined extract were investigated in our study for cell viability (trypan blue or soft agar colony formation assay), cell cycle (propidium iodide staining), cell-cycle-associated proteins (immunoblotting), and stem cell markers (immunohistochemistry staining).

RESULTS

Compared with other extraction methods, HPT extraction using an ethyl acetate medium exerts the most potent effect on inhibiting HT-29 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the treatment with combined extract had a higher inhibitory effect on CRC cell viability than gallic acid or hesperidin alone. The underlying mechanism was involved in G1-phase arrest and Cip1/p21 upregulation that could attenuate HCT-116 cell proliferation (Ki-67), stemness (CD-133), and spheroid growth in a 3D formation assay mimicking in vivo tumorigenesis.

CONCLUSION

Gallic acid and hesperidin exert synergistic effects on cell growth, spheroids, and stemness of CRC and may serve as a potential chemopreventive agent. Further testing for the safety and effectiveness of the combined extract in large-scale randomized trials is required.

Lunasin and Its Epigenetic Impact in Cancer Chemoprevention

Cancer diseases are a leading cause of death worldwide. Therefore, it is pivotal to search for bioactive dietary compounds that can avert tumor development. A diet rich in vegetables, including legumes, provides chemopreventive substances, which have the potential to prevent many diseases, including cancer. Lunasin is a soy-derived peptide whose anti-cancer activity has been studied for over 20 years. The results of the previous research have shown that lunasin inhibits histone acetylation, regulates the cell cycle, suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis of cancer cells. Thus, lunasin seems to be a promising bioactive anti-cancer agent and a potent epigenetic modulator. The present review discusses studies of the underlying molecular mechanisms and new perspectives on lunasin application in epigenetic prevention and anti-cancer therapy.

The Beneficial Effects of Soybean Proteins and Peptides on Chronic Diseases

With lifestyle changes, chronic diseases have become a public health problem worldwide, causing a huge burden on the global economy. Risk factors associated with chronic diseases mainly include abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia, elevated triglycerides, cancer, and other characteristics. Plant-sourced proteins have received more and more attention in the treatment and prevention of chronic diseases in recent years. Soybean is a low-cost, high-quality protein resource that contains 40% protein. Soybean peptides have been widely studied in the regulation of chronic diseases. In this review, the structure, function, absorption, and metabolism of soybean peptides are introduced briefly. The regulatory effects of soybean peptides on a few main chronic diseases were also reviewed, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and cancer. We also addressed the shortcomings of functional research on soybean proteins and peptides in chronic diseases and the possible directions in the future.

Proteins and their functionalization for finding therapeutic avenues in cancer: Current status and future prospective

Despite the remarkable advancement in the health care sector, cancer remains the second most fatal disease globally. The existing conventional cancer treatments primarily include chemotherapy, which has been associated with little to severe side effects, and radiotherapy, which is usually expensive. To overcome these problems, target-specific nanocarriers have been explored for delivering chemo drugs. However, recent reports on using a few proteins having anticancer activity and further use of them as drug carriers have generated tremendous attention for furthering the research towards cancer therapy. Biomolecules, especially proteins, have emerged as suitable alternatives in cancer treatment due to multiple favourable properties including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural flexibility for easy surface functionalization. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have reported that various proteins derived from animal, plant, and bacterial species, demonstrated strong cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties against malignant cells in native and their different structural conformations. Moreover, surface tunable properties of these proteins help to bind a range of anticancer drugs and target ligands, thus making them efficient delivery agents in cancer therapy. Here, we discuss various proteins obtained from common exogenous sources and how they transform into effective anticancer agents. We also comprehensively discuss the tumor-killing mechanisms of different dietary proteins such as bovine α-lactalbumin, hen egg-white lysozyme, and their conjugates. We also articulate how protein nanostructures can be used as carriers for delivering cancer drugs and theranostics, and strategies to be adopted for improving their in vivo delivery and targeting. We further discuss the FDA-approved protein-based anticancer formulations along with those in different phases of clinical trials.

Effects of Soybean and Tempeh Water Extracts on Regulation of Intestinal Flora and Prevention of Colon Precancerous Lesions in Rats

Soybean bioactivity is significantly enhanced during tempeh fermentation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tempeh on colorectal cancer cells in vitro and colon precancerous lesions (aberrant crypt foci, ACF) in vivo. In the in vitro assay, tempeh water extract (WET) could inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2 cells. In the animal assay using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, 12-weeks daily feeding of tempeh could decrease the level of Clostridium perfringens in cecum contents and reduce the number of large (≥4 foci) ACF in the colon of treated rats, compared to the DMH control. By the results of TOF-MS and Edman degradation, the isolated antioxidant dipeptide, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides from WET might contain methionine, proline, and lysine. The bioactive peptides in tempeh might inhibit colon cancer by suppressing the growth of C. perfringens in the intestinal tract.

Bioactive Peptides: Potential Impact on the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers

We have reviewed the potential use of bioactive peptides in the treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies, which are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Conventional therapies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, are associated with numerous side effects that may lead to longterm complications. Bioactive peptides are short-chain amino acids that can be extracted from natural sources or synthesized, and they have various potential health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-cancer properties. Bioactive peptides can be acquired from animal or plant sources, and can be classified based on their function, such as ACE-inhibiting, antimicrobial, and electrolyte- regulating peptides. Recent studies have demonstrated the promising role of bioactive peptides in tumor suppression, especially when combined with conventional therapies. In this study, we have reviewed the beneficial properties of bioactive peptides and their role in suppressing tumor activity. The mechanisms of bioactive peptides in tumor suppression are discussed. We have further reviewed the findings of preclinical and clinical studies that have investigated the application of bioactive peptides in the treatment of GI cancers. This review highlights the potential use of bioactive peptides as a promising treatment method for GI malignancies to increase the quality of life of GI cancer patients.

Microbiology, flavor formation, and bioactivity of fermented soybean curd (furu): A review

Soybeans are an important plant-based food but its beany flavor and anti-nutritional factors limit its consumption. Fermentation is an effective way to improve its flavor and nutrition. Furu is a popular fermented soybean curd and mainly manufactured in Asia, which has been consumed for thousands of years as an appetizer because of its attractive flavors. This review first classifies furu products on the basis of various factors; then, the microorganisms involved in its fermentation and their various functions are discussed. The mechanisms for the formation of aroma and taste compounds during fermentation are also discussed; and the microbial metabolites and their bioactivities are analyzed. Finally, future prospects and challenges are introduced and further research is proposed. This information is needed to protect the regional characteristics of furu and to regulate its consistent quality. The current information suggests that more in vivo experiments and further clinical trials are needed to confirm its safety and the microbial community needs to be optimized and standardized for each type of furu to improve the production process.

A Concise Review on the Role of Natural and Synthetically Derived Peptides in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer being the second leading cause of cancer-associated deaths has become a significant health concern around the globe. Though there are various cancer treatment approaches, many of them show adverse effects and some compromise the health of cancer patients. Hence, significant efforts are being made for the evolution of a novel biological therapeutic approach with better efficacy and minimal side effects. Current research suggests that the application of peptides in colorectal cancer therapeutics holds the possibility of the emergence of an anticancer reagent. The primary beneficial factors of peptides are their comparatively rapid and easy process of synthesis and the enormous potential for chemical alterations that can be evaluated for designing novel peptides and enhancing the delivery capacity of peptides. Peptides might be utilized as agents with cytotoxic activities or as a carrier of a specific drug or as cytotoxic agents that can efficiently target the tumor cells. Further, peptides can also be used as a tool for diagnostic purposes. The recent analysis aims at developing peptides that have the potential to efficiently target the tumor moieties without harming the nearby normal cells. Additionally, decreasing the adverse effects, and unfolding the other therapeutic properties of potential peptides, are also the subject matter of in-depth analysis. This review provides a concise summary of the function of both natural and synthetically derived peptides in colorectal cancer therapeutics that are recently being evaluated and their potent applications in the clinical field.

Biological functions of peptides from legumes in gastrointestinal health. A review legume peptides with gastrointestinal protection

Extensively consumed worldwide, legumes such as beans, soybeans, chickpeas, and peas represent a great source of protein. Legume-derived proteins provide bioactive peptides, small sequences of amino acids produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, gastrointestinal digestion, fermentation, or germination. Recent studies showed diverse biological effects of these peptides as antioxidants, antihypertensives, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, antidiabetic, hypocholesterolemic, and even immunomodulators. These beneficial effects aid in preventing and treating chronic illnesses, particularly inflammatory disorders, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, this work discusses these biological functions in gastrointestinal digestion health of bioactive peptides obtained from common beans, soybeans, chickpeas, peas, and other legumes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Knowledge of the nutraceutical properties of legumes can encourage the use of these seeds as ingredients in the development and design of functional foods.

Lunasin as a Promising Plant-Derived Peptide for Cancer Therapy

Cancer has become one of the main public health problems worldwide, demanding the development of new therapeutic agents that can help reduce mortality. Lunasin is a soybean peptide that has emerged as an attractive option because its preventive and therapeutic actions against cancer. In this review, we evaluated available research on lunasin’s structure and mechanism of action, which should be useful for the development of lunasin-based therapeutic products. We described data on its primary, secondary, tertiary, and possible quaternary structure, susceptibility to post-translational modifications, and structural stability. These characteristics are important for understanding drug activity and characterizing lunasin products. We also provided an overview of research on lunasin pharmacokinetics and safety. Studies examining lunasin’s mechanisms of action against cancer were reviewed, highlighting reported activities, and known molecular partners. Finally, we briefly discussed commercially available lunasin products and potential combination therapeutics.

Beneficial Effects of Soybean-Derived Bioactive Peptides

Peptides present in foods are involved in nutritional functions by supplying amino acids; sensory functions related to taste or solubility, emulsification, etc.; and bioregulatory functions in various physiological activities. In particular, peptides have a wide range of physiological functions, including as anticancer agents and in lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, enhancing immunity, and promoting calcium absorption. Soy protein can be partially hydrolyzed enzymatically to physiologically active soy (or soybean) peptides (SPs), which not only exert physiological functions but also help amino acid absorption in the body and reduce bitterness by hydrolyzing hydrophobic amino acids from the C- or N-terminus of soy proteins. They also possess significant gel-forming, emulsifying, and foaming abilities. SPs are expected to be able to prevent and treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting the reabsorption of bile acids in the digestive system, thereby reducing blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and fat levels. In addition, soy contains blood pressure-lowering peptides that inhibit angiotensin-I converting enzyme activity and antithrombotic peptides that inhibit platelet aggregation, as well as anticancer, antioxidative, antimicrobial, immunoregulatory, opiate-like, hypocholesterolemic, and antihypertensive activities. In animal models, neuroprotective and cognitive capacity as well as cardiovascular activity have been reported. SPs also inhibit chronic kidney disease and tumor cell growth by regulating the expression of genes associated with apoptosis, inflammation, cell cycle arrest, invasion, and metastasis. Recently, various functions of soybeans, including their physiologically active functions, have been applied to health-oriented foods, functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. This review introduces some current results on the role of bioactive peptides found in soybeans related to health functions.

Lunasin Peptide is a Modulator of the Immune Response in the Human Gastrointestinal Tract

INTRODUCTION

Lunasin is a soybean bioactive peptide with a variety of beneficial properties against chronic disorders. However, its effect in human primary intestinal cells remains unknown. Hence, this study aims to characterize its ex vivo biological activity in the human intestinal mucosa.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Human intestinal biopsies, obtained from healthy controls, are ex vivo conditioned with lunasin both in the presence/absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Peptide maintains its stability during biopsy culture by HPLC-MS/MS analysis. Lunasin is bioactive in the human mucosa, as it induces IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-17A, CCL2, and PGE2/COX-2 gene expression together with an increased expression of tolerogenic IL-10 and TGFβ, while it also downregulates the expression of iNOS and subunit p65 from NF-κB. Indeed, lunasin also abrogates the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory response, downregulating IL-17A, IFNγ, and IL-8 expression, and inducing IL-10 and TGFβ expression. These results are also mirrored in the cell-free culture supernatants at the protein level by Multiplex. Moreover, lunasin further induces a regulatory phenotype and function on human intestinal conventional dendritic cell and macrophage subsets as assessed by flow cytometry.

CONCLUSIONS

We hereby have characterized lunasin as an immunomodulatory peptide with potential capacity to prevent immune and inflammatory-mediated disorders in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Prospects of cereal protein-derived bioactive peptides: Sources, bioactivities diversity, and production

Cereals account for a large proportion of the human diet and are an important source of protein. The preparation of cereal protein peptides is a good way to utilize these proteins. Cereal protein peptides have good application potential as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anticancer compounds, in lowering blood pressure, controlling blood sugar, and inhibiting thrombosis. This article reviews the literature on the functional properties, mechanisms of action, and applications of cereal protein peptides in the food industry with two perspectives, and summarizes the methods for their preparation and identification. The biologically active peptides derived from different grain proteins have varied main functional properties, which may be related to the differences in the amino acid composition and protein types of different grains. On this basis, the structure-activity relationship of cereal protein peptides was discussed. The advancement of identification technology makes the integration of bioinformatics and bioactive peptide research closer. Bioinformatics by combination of online database, computer simulation and experimental verification is helpful to in-deep study the structure-activity relationship of biologically active peptides, and improve efficiency in the process of obtaining target peptides with less cost. In addition, the application of cereal protein peptides in the food industry is also discussed.

Overexpression of Soybean-Derived Lunasin in Wheat and Assessment of Its Anti-Proliferative Activity in Colorectal Cancer HT-29 Cells

Lunasin is a soybean-derived peptide that exhibits anticancer bioactivity in different cancer cells and has been identified in different plants. However, recent studies revealed through molecular and chemical analyses that lunasin was absent in wheat and other cereals. In this study, the soybean-derived lunasin was cloned into pCAMBIA3300 and we transferred the expression vector into wheat via an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The identification of transgenic wheat was detected by polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that lunasin content in transgenic wheat L32-3, L32-6, and L33-1 was 308.63, 436.78, and 349.07 µg/g, respectively, while lunasin was not detected in wild-type wheat. Lunasin enrichment from transgenic wheat displayed an increased anti-proliferative activity compared with peptide enrichment from wild-type wheat in HT-29 cells. Moreover, the results of a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed a significant elevation in p21, Bax, and caspase-3 expression, while Bcl-2 was significantly downregulated. In conclusion, soybean-derived lunasin was successfully expressed in wheat via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and may exert anti-proliferative activity by regulating the apoptosis pathway in HT-29 cells, which provides an effective approach to compensate for the absence of lunasin in wheat.

Peptides in Colorectal Cancer: Current State of Knowledge

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most deadly and the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world. CRC treatment is mainly based on surgery, chemotherapy, and even though the probability of complications after surgery is very low, chemo drugs affect the patient's quality of life. Multiple studies have shown a strong correlation between diet and the onset and progression of CRC. Thus, the consumption of dietary nutraceuticals for its treatment and prevention has been suggested as a promising option. Peptides have increasingly become of interest in human health due to their antioxidant, antihypertensive, and anticancer potential. In recent years, there have been extensive reports on peptides with anti-tumor activity, and some studies suggest that peptides modulate cell proliferation, evasion of cell death, and metastasis in malignant cells. Plant-derived peptides such as soybean, bean, and rice have received main attention. In this review, we show evidence of several mechanisms through which bioactive peptides exert anti-tumor activity over in vitro and in vivo CRC models. We also report the current status of major production techniques, as well as limitations and future perspectives. Graphical Abstract.

Gastrointestinal Digestion of Food Proteins under the Effects of Released Bioactive Peptides on Digestive Health

The gastrointestinal tract represents a specialized interface between the organism and the external environment. Because of its direct contact with lumen substances, the modulation of digestive functions by dietary substances is supported by a growing body of evidence. Food-derived bioactive peptides have demonstrated a plethora of activities in the organism with increasing interest toward their impact over the digestive system and related physiological effects. This review updates the biological effects of food proteins, specifically milk and soybean proteins, associated to gastrointestinal health and highlights the study of digestion products and released peptides, the identification of the active form/s, and the evaluation of the mechanisms of action underlying their relationship with the digestive cells and receptors. The approach toward the modifications that food proteins and peptides undergo during gastrointestinal digestion and their bioavailability is a crucial step for current investigations on the field. The recent literature on the regulation of digestive functions by peptides has been mostly considered in terms of their influence on gastrointestinal motility and signaling, oxidative damage and inflammation, and malignant cellular proliferation. A final section regarding the actual challenges and future perspectives in this scientific topic is critically discussed.

Antimicrobial Peptides as New Combination Agents in Cancer Therapeutics: A Promising Protocol against HT-29 Tumoral Spheroids

Antimicrobial peptides are molecules synthetized by a large variety of organisms as an innate defense against pathogens. These natural compounds have been identified as promising alternatives to widely used molecules to treat infections and cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides could be viewed as future chemotherapeutic alternatives, having the advantage of low propensity to drug resistance. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of the antimicrobial peptide gramicidin A (GA) and the anticancer drug, doxorubicin (Doxo) against the spheroids from colorectal cancer cells (HT-29). The two drugs were applied separately against HT-29 spheroids as well as together to determine if they can act synergistically. The spheroid evolution, cell viability, and ATP levels were monitored at 24 and 48 h after the applied treatments. The results show significant drops in cell viability and cellular ATP levels for all the experimental treatments. The simultaneous use of the two compounds (GA and Doxo) seems to cause a synergistic effect against the spheroids.

Identification of Xanthomicrol as a Major Metabolite of 5-Demethyltangeretin in Mouse Gastrointestinal Tract and Its Inhibitory Effects on Colon Cancer Cells

5-Demethyltangeretin (5DT) is a unique polymethoxyflavone mainly found in the peel of citrus, and has shown potent suppressive effects on multiple human cancer cells. Biotransformation plays a critical role in the biological activities of dietary bioactive components because their metabolites may exert significant bioactivities. In the present study, the metabolic fate of 5DT in mouse gastrointestinal (GI) tract after long-term oral intake and the anti-cancer effects of its major metabolite were determined. It was found that 5DT underwent extensive biotransformation after oral ingestion in mice. A major demethylated metabolite was produced via phase I metabolism, while conjugates (glucuronide and sulfate) were generated via phase II metabolism. Specifically, 4'-position on the B ring of 5DT was the major site for demethylation reaction, which led to the production of xanthomicrol (XAN) as a major metabolite. More importantly, the level of XAN in the colon was significantly higher than that of 5DT in 5DT-fed mice. Thus, we further determined the suppressive effects of XAN on human colon cancer HCT116 cells. We found that XAN effectively inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 cells by arresting cell cycle and inducing cellular apoptosis, which was further evidenced by upregulated p53 and p21 and downregulated cyclin D and CDK4/6 level. In conclusion, this study identified XAN as a major metabolite of 5DT in mouse GI tract, and demonstrated its suppressive effects on HCT116 colon cancer cells.

Cytotoxic and antitumor peptides as novel chemotherapeutics

Covering: up to 2020Treatment resistance and drug-induced refractory malignancies pose significant challenges for current chemotherapy drugs. There have been increasing research efforts aimed at developing novel chemotherapeutics, especially from natural products and related derivatives. Natural cytotoxic peptides, an emerging source of chemotherapeutics, have exhibited the advantage of overcoming drug resistance and displayed broad-spectrum antitumor activities in the clinic. This highlight examines the increasingly popular cytotoxic peptides from isolated natural products. In-depth review of several peptides provides examples for how this novel strategy can lead to the improved anti-tumor effects. The mechanisms and current application of representative natural cytotoxic peptides (NCPs) have also been discussed, with a particular focus on future directions for interdisciplinary research.

Peptides for Health Benefits 2019

In recent years, peptides have received increased interest in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and various other fields [...].