Sakinah Hilya Abida, Christoper Caesar Yudho Sutopo, Wei-Ting Hung, Ito Fernando, Tunjung Mahatmanto, Jue-Liang Hsu
This study investigated the antihypertensive potential of bioactive peptides derived from the underutilized tree bean seed proteins (TBSP) via angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition. ACE inhibition is a common therapeutic strategy for managing hypertension. Among the enzymatic hydrolysates, the TBSP simulated gastrointestinal (SGI) hydrolysate (80% inhibition at 0.17 mg/mL) and the TBSP thermolysin hydrolysate (78% inhibition at 0.17 mg/mL) exhibited strong ACE-inhibitory (ACEi) activity, with the SGI hydrolysate showing the lowest IC50 (31.8 ± 2.6 µg/mL). Sequential fractionation using strong cation exchange and RP-HPLC yielded FY7 (FVLNSPY), a novel heptapeptide exhibiting potent ACEi activity with an IC50 value of 72.3 ± 1.7 µM. Enzyme kinetics and molecular docking indicated a non-competitive inhibition pattern and revealed stable interactions between FY7 and ACE allosteric sites. FY7 also withstood ACE pre-incubation and remained largely intact after 6 h of simulated gastrointestinal digestion, highlighting its oral stability. Collectively, these findings highlight FY7 as a promising natural antihypertensive candidate for incorporation into functional foods or nutraceutical formulations, warranting further in vivo validation. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025.
Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 91201, Taiwan; Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, 106037, Taiwan; Department of Food Science and Biotechnology Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Plant Pest and Diseases Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Brawijaya, East Java, Malang, 65145, Indonesia
