NUTRACEUTICAL POTENTIAL OF PLANT-DERIVED PEPTIDES: IN SILICO ANALYSIS AND BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS OF ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/health-2026.2.2Keywords:
type 2 diabetes mellitus, plant dietary proteins, bioactive peptides, enzymatic hydrolysis, in silico, molecular docking, DPP-4, α-Amylase, α-glucosidase, functional foodsAbstract
Background. Long-term use of oral hypoglycemic agents in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is often limited by adverse effects, making the investigation of dietary bioactive peptides of plant origin, capable of modulating key molecular targets of the pathology, both promising and timely. Objective. To synthesize current evidence on plant-derived peptides as potential antidiabetic agents, with emphasis on the application of in silico methods for predicting their biological activity and analyzing biochemical mechanisms underlying their nutraceutical potential. Methods. To achieve this objective, a critical review and synthesis of scientific publications indexed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar was conducted using bibliosemantic, analytical, and comparative approaches. Results. Plant proteins were identified as promising sources of bioactive peptides with antidiabetic properties, exerting hypoglycemic effects through inhibition of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and modulation of insulin signalling pathways. The most relevant sources include proteins from quinoa, soybean, sacha inchi, pea, as well as algae and microalgae. Modern in silico approaches substantially accelerate peptide discovery, enable assessment of their affinity to molecular targets, and reduce early-stage research costs. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) serves as a universal quantitative parameter for comparing peptide inhibitory activity; however, methodological unification and standardization of measurement units remain essential. Conclusions. The literature analysis highlights the potential of plant-derived bioactive peptides as nutraceutical components in functional foods for prevention and adjunctive management of metabolic disorders in T2DM.
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