Lunasin as a Promising Plant-Derived Peptide for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Cancer has become one of the main public health problems worldwide, demanding the development of new therapeutic agents that can help reduce mortality. Lunasin is a soybean peptide that has emerged as an attractive option because its preventive and therapeutic actions against cancer. In this review, we evaluated available research on lunasin’s structure and mechanism of action, which should be useful for the development of lunasin-based therapeutic products. We described data on its primary, secondary, tertiary, and possible quaternary structure, susceptibility to post-translational modifications, and structural stability. These characteristics are important for understanding drug activity and characterizing lunasin products. We also provided an overview of research on lunasin pharmacokinetics and safety. Studies examining lunasin’s mechanisms of action against cancer were reviewed, highlighting reported activities, and known molecular partners. Finally, we briefly discussed commercially available lunasin products and potential combination therapeutics.

Proteomic Characterization of a Lunasin-Enriched Soybean Extract Potentially Useful in the Treatment of <i>Helicobacter pylori </i>Infection

“…It has been described that peptides with greater antibacterial activity are usually of small size (10-50 amino acids) and highly cationic, with a tendency to adopt amphipathic structures, which increases their affinity for bacterial membranes [45]. The lunasin peptide consists in a sequence of 43-44 amino acids, with many hydrophilic and charged residues, and a theoretical pl of 4.43 [46,47]. To date, the antibacterial activity of this peptide has not been reported because of its length and structural properties that do not seem consistent with previosly identified antibacterial peptides.…”

Recent advances in exploring and exploiting soybean functional peptides—a review

“…Soybean-derived peptides are also known to attenuate the severity of metabolic and age-related chronic disorders, such as cancer, hypocholesterolemia, obesity, and alcohol-induced liver injury ( 18 – 20 ). Several peptides derived from soybeans have been reported to exert multiple benefits and are termed multifunctional soybean peptides.…”

“…As a result, the ability of lunasin to modulate gene expression is associated with its immunomodulatory properties. The combination of lunasin and IL-12 significantly increased H 3 acetylation at the interferon gamma (IFNG) locus and decreased it at the TGFB1 locus, indicating an epigenetic mechanism ( 18 ). A peptide without either the RGD motif or the aspartic acid (D)-tail, however, had an impact comparable to that of full-length lunasin, indicating that they were not linked to a synergistic augmentation of IFN production.…”

Optimization of Soy Protein Hydrolysis with Papain Enzyme and Its Cytotoxic Activity Against MCF-7 Cancer Cells

“…Glycinin and β-conglycinin, the precursor of most isolated peptides, represent approximately 65-80% of total seed protein in soybeans [3]. Moreover, bioactive peptides isolated from soybeans, such as lunasin and the Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor (BBI), are now being intensively studied as cancer chemopreventive agents [4,5].…”