Beneficial effect of peptides from microalgae on anticancer

Area of Science:

• Marine biotechnology
• Natural product chemistry
• Cancer research

Background:

• Marine organisms, including microalgae, are rich sources of bioactive compounds.
• Peptides from marine sources possess diverse biological activities like antiproliferative and antioxidant effects.
• Protein hydrolysates from marine by-products yield bioactive peptides with therapeutic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the anticancer activities of peptides derived from microalgae.
• To highlight the potential of marine peptides in cancer prevention and treatment.
• To explore their use as molecular models in anticancer drug discovery.

Main Methods:

• Isolation and purification of bioactive peptides from marine microalgae.
• Enzymatic digestion of marine by-products to generate protein hydrolysates.
• Evaluation of peptide bioactivity, including antioxidant and cytotoxic effects on cancer cell lines (e.g., HepG2, HeLa, AGS, MCF-7).

Main Results:

• Marine peptides demonstrate significant antiproliferative, antioxidant, and antimicrotubule activities.
• Purified peptides show cytotoxic effects against various human cancer cell lines.
• Unusual amino acid residues in these peptides contribute to their unique properties.

Conclusions:

• Marine microalgae-derived peptides hold considerable promise for cancer therapy and prevention.
• These peptides can serve as valuable molecular scaffolds for developing novel anticancer drugs.
• Further research into marine bioactive peptides can unlock new avenues in oncology.