Antihypertensive activity of zein peptides extracted from creole corn (Zea mays L.) (blue and red) from the State of Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the antihypertensive activity of peptides extracted from nixtamalized and non-nixtamalized creole corn (blue and red) zein from the Estado de México.

Design / methodology / approach: Bioinformatic tools, such as the NCBI database, were used to search for primary sequences of the maize zein protein. The methodology included a prediction of peptides with antihypertensive activity through various bioinformatic servers. Inhibitory activity was determined by percentage regression. Statistical analysis was performed to assess possible significant differences using the Tukey test (p <0.05).

Results: The following peptides were found by in silico hydrolysis: IFSILMLLA, LSACVLDATI, TASVCENPTL, LPLSPLLFQQ, SPALSLVQSL, LSPYSQQQQF, PFSQLATAY, LPFYQQFSAN and PAAFYQQHII that showed inhibition activity. The results showed that the GH (grade of hydrolysis) was higher in blue corn (13.96 ± 0.02) than in red corn (10.38 ± 0.79) without nixtamalization, while, with the nixtamalization process, this parameter was also higher in blue corn (10.52 ± 0.57) than in red corn (8.96 ± 0.01).

Study limitations / implications: The enzyme used for hydrolysis generates oligopeptides that may not be as closely related to the angiotensin-converting enzyme.

Findings / Conclusions: In vitro antihypertensive activity of unhydrolyzed blue corn zein showed a lower percentage of ACE inhibition compared to unhydrolyzed red corn. Trypsin hydrolysis only increases ACE inhibitory activity in blue corn at a concentration of 0.3 mg / mL without nixtamalizing.