Obesity is a multifactorial, complex, chronic disease that is usually associated with high mortality rates and the risk to develop cardiac disease, hypertension, some types of cancer and diabetes. Food industry is now exploring the aspects related to the components present in food that promote a healthy life, such as the bioactive peptides encrypted in the proteins of several foods. Amaranth is a plant native from Central and South-America which contains anti-hypertensive, antioxidant and anti-cancer peptides; however, the antidiabetic potential and the effect upon body weight of the seed proteins have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of these peptides upon fat accumulation in mouse adipocytes cultures and their ability to inhibit the dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV), a new key enzyme in the type 2 diabetes treatments. Both, the tryptic and gastrointestinal digestions of amaranth proteins were able to release peptides with a molecular mass lower than 10 kDa that reduced 60% of the DPP IV activity. Furthermore, these peptides decreased mouse adipocytes fat accumulation and reduced the differentiation of its immature precursor cells. This work presents new evidence that could place amaranth as an alternative source of bioactive peptides against obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Characterization of the antidiabetic and antiadipogenic peptides encrypted in amaranth seeds

243rd National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.