Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Plant Science

Background:

• Traditional medicine has long recognized plants for healing properties.
• Plant bioactivity is often linked to natural products, particularly peptides.
• Plant peptides are gaining attention for their diverse biological activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze current literature on plant-derived peptides.
• To explore the influence of structural and physicochemical features on peptide bioactivity.
• To highlight mechanisms of action and discuss prospects for peptide-based drugs.

Main Methods:

• Literature compilation and analysis.
• Review of studies on plant peptide structure-activity relationships.
• Examination of mechanisms of action for plant peptides.

Main Results:

• Plant peptides possess distinct structural traits, including hydrophobic and aromatic residues.
• Amino acid composition, secondary structure, net charge, and hydrophobicity significantly impact peptide bioactivity.
• Plant peptides offer advantages such as sustainable sourcing and low allergenicity.

Conclusions:

• Plant-derived peptides are promising therapeutic agents due to their tunable properties.
• Understanding peptide structure is crucial for optimizing their biological functions.
• Further research into plant peptides could lead to novel peptide-based drug development.