Isolation of Peptide Inhibiting SGC-7901 Cell Proliferation from Aspongopus chinensis Dallas

Abstract

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas is used as a traditional Chinese medicine as well as an edible insect. Although its anti-tumor effects have been observed, the anti-tumor active component(s) in the hemolymph of A. chinensis remains unknown. In this study, a combination usage of ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, FPLC and RP-HPLC to separate and purify active peptides was performed based on the proliferation of the human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell line treated with candidates. One peptide (MW = 2853.3 Da) was isolated from the hemolymph of A. chinensis. A total of 24 amino acid residues were continuously determined for the active peptide: N′-ECGYCAEKGIRCDDIHCCTGLKKK-C′. In conclusion, a peptide that can inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in the hemolymph of A. chinensis was purified in this study, which is homologous to members of the spider toxin protein family. These results should facilitate further works for this peptide, such as the cloning of genes, expression in vitro by prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems, more specific tests of anti-tumor activity, and so on.

A minireview of the medicinal and edible insects from the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

“…However, only (±)-Aspongopusamide A, Aspongopusamide C, and Aspongamides C were investigated for their inhibitory effects on COX-2, and their IC 50 values were 6.5, 117, and 6.86 µM, respectively. The hemolymph or the crude extract of this bug was proven to effectively inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells (e.g., HepG2, MCF-7, SGC-7901) and the ensuing (pro-) apoptosis via cell cycle arrest (G 0 /G 1 phase) and the regulation of signaling pathways such as STAT3/Survivin/Bcl (Hou et al, 2012;Shen, 2015;Yang et al, 2017;Wang and Wang, 2018;Wu Y. F. et al, 2018). An anticancer active mixture separated from the bug haemolymph was identified to be composed of 18 protein families, including cytochrome c, ferritin, superoxide dismutase, and hemocyanin-like protein.…”

Aspongopus chinensis Dallas induces pro-apoptotic and cell cycle arresting effects in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by modulating miRNA and mRNA expression

“…This insect has several anticancer qualities and is often found in China and Southeast Asia [ 2 ]. In earlier studies, evidence has been presented to support several health advantages associated with the use of this insect, particularly in relation to its anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-clotting properties [ [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] ]. Thus, its diverse properties highlight the crucial role of this valuable insect as a cultural, medicinal, and economic resource.…”