Quinoa and Peanut Extracts as Alternatives to Animal-Derived Extracellular Matrix Proteins in Cultured Meat...

Cultured meat, produced through the cultivation of animal cells, represents a sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional livestock farming. The cultivation and expansion of animal cells for cultured meat production rely heavily on extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, which are needed for cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. However, common ECM components such as gelatin, collagen, vitronectin, and Matrigel are mainly derived from animal sources, raising ethical concerns and sustainability issues. In this study, we used in silico analysis to identify edible plant-derived proteins containing Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motifs, which can promote cell adhesion and proliferation like ECM proteins. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) were identified as promising candidates. Water-soluble extracts were prepared from the plant seeds and evaluated for their ability to support the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of murine C2C12 and immortalized bovine satellite cells. We found that the extracts predominantly contained low-molecular-weight proteins, and cell culture surfaces coated with either extract supported cell attachment and proliferation at levels comparable to those achieved with animal-derived ECM proteins. Analysis of the most abundant proteins in each plant extract as determined by mass spectrometry confirmed the presence of RGD motif-containing proteins. Subsequently, one RGD-containing protein identified from each extract was produced using a cell-free expression system, and lysates containing the produced proteins were evaluated for their ability to support cell attachment and proliferation. The results indicated enhanced cell attachment and proliferation, indicating a potential role of the proteins. Our findings demonstrate that peanut and quinoa protein extracts are promising and inexpensive animal-free alternatives for surface functionalization in cultured meat applications.