Bioactive proteins and peptides isolated from Chinese medicines with pharmaceutical potential

Abstract

Some protein pharmaceuticals from Chinese medicine have been developed to treat cardiovascular diseases, genetic diseases, and cancer. Bioactive proteins with various pharmacological properties have been successfully isolated from animals such as Hirudo medicinalis (medicinal leech), Eisenia fetida (earthworm), and Mesobuthus martensii (Chinese scorpion), and from herbal medicines derived from species such as Cordyceps militaris, Ganoderma, Momordica cochinchinensis, Viscum album, Poria cocos, Senna obtusifolia, Panax notoginseng, Smilax glabra, Ginkgo biloba, Dioscorea batatas, and Trichosanthes kirilowii. This article reviews the isolation methods, molecular characteristics, bioactivities, pharmacological properties, and potential uses of bioactive proteins originating from these Chinese medicines.

Neurotrophic Effects of Mu Bie Zi (Momordica cochinchinensis) Seed Elucidated by High-Throughput Screening of Natural Products for NGF Mimetic Effects in PC-12 Cells

“…Although, future research will be required on MCS extract, we do know that the seeds are orange/red in color due to lycopene [59, 60] and it has significant concentrations of triterpenoidal saponins, gypsogenin and quillaic acid glycosides [61] and low MW cell penetrating dipeptides [62] such as cochinin B (28 kDa) [63] and M. cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor I (MCoTI-I) and 2 (MCoTI-II). [64] MCoTI-II belongs to the cyclotide family of plant-derived cyclic peptides that are characterized by a cyclic cystine knot motif [65, 66] known to be thermally and chemically stable, and resistant to enzymatic degradation.…”

“…[67, 68] MCS derived cyclic knottins share similar conformational form as noncyclic squash inhibitors such as CPTI [69] and interesting also, NGF [70]. While NGF medicinal applications are limited, natural NGF mimetics such as those found in the MCS extract are generally robust in therapeutic properties previously reported to have anti-viral, [71, 72] anti-angiogenic, anti-tumor [73] anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties [63] and an ability to enhance innate immunity [74, 75], aid in wound healing [76] and heal gastric ulters. [77].…”

Pharmacodynamic material basis of traditional Chinese medicine based on biomacromolecules: a review

“…The molecular mass of GCL (18 kDa) is near the lower end of the range (15 to > 100 kDa) reported for mushroom lectins. The specificity of lectin toward galactose/ galactosamine is similar to those of lectins from Agrocybe aegerita, Fomes fomentarius, Psilocybe barrarae, and its N-terminal sequence displays slight similarity to a lectin from Ganoderma lucidum and fungal immunomodulatory proteins from Flammulina velutipes and Volvariella volvacea [110]. The results have shown that the main forms of Chinese medicine proteins function in determining their efficacy, including: (1) Taking extracted and purified proteins as the medicinal portion, such as TCS, with physiological functions of immune regulation, inhibited the replication and reproduction of human HIV [111].…”

Hypoglycemic effects of Trichosanthes kirilowii and its protein constituent in diabetic mice: the involvement of insulin receptor pathway

“…For example, phenolic phytochemicals and protein-bound polysaccharides from fruits of Cucurbita maxima reduce blood glucose and improve glucose tolerance via the inhibitions of α-amylase and α-glucosidase [28, 29]. Bitter melon-derived triterpenoids activate AMP-activated protein kinase, increase glucose transporter 4 translocation to the plasma membrane in vitro, and improve glucose disposal in insulin-resistant models in vivo [37]. Polypeptide-p, M.Cy protein, MC6, and charantin from Momordica charantia show hypoglycemic effects in normal and diabetic mice [31, 38, 39].…”