Action of amaranth peptides on the cardiovascular system

MARÍA CRISTINA AÑÓN; ALEJANDRA QUIROGA; ADIRANA ALICIA SCILINGO; VALERIA TIRONI; ANA CLARA SABBIONE; AGUSTINA NARDO; SANTIAGO SUÁREZ; SUSAN GARCÍA FILLERÍA

Native crops in Latin America: Processing and nutraceutical aspects

CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Lugar: Boca Ratón; Año: 2021;

The amaranth grain storage proteins contain a series of encrypted amino acid sequences, that exhibit different physiological activities when released. These include antihypertensive, antithrombotic, and antioxidant activity. Different researchers have focused their interest in these activities. In this chapter the main results achieved will be discussed. The results achieved show that amaranth peptides have the capacity to inhibit ACE and renin enzymes, main regulators of the Renin-Angiotensin system, RAS, as well as affect the local RAS. These effects induce a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure in hypertensive animal systems. Amaranth peptides obtained by simulated gastrointestinal digestion have the ability to inhibit in vitro blood clot formation, exerting their action on thrombin or fibrinogen polymerization. Studies carried out with rats fed with amaranth protein isolate showed an increase in the coagulation parameters, indicating that the digestion of the amaranth proteins releases peptides with antithrombotic effect in the bloodstream. Also, gastrointestinal digests and separated peptide fractions are able to inhibit or retard in vitro Cu+2/H2O2-induced low density lipoproteins oxidation, being this oxidation the initial cause of the in vivo atheromas formation. When amaranth is consumed by Wistar rats some improvement in the oxidative status of the liver are registered.