Antioxidant and metal chelating activities of Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Jamapa protein isolates, phaseolin and lectin hydrolysates

A search in a database of potential bioactive short sequences in food proteins reveals that bioactive peptides with a variety of beneficial effects for cardiovascular health are present in the sequence of common bean proteins, including bioactive sequences with antioxidant properties. A protein isolate, the storage protein phaseolin and a lectin extract from Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Jamapa, were hydrolyzed by treatment with pepsin and pancreatin in order to investigate the possible release of peptides with antioxidant and metal chelating properties. Antioxidant activity was determined in Caco-2 cells exposed to a free radical generator, and iron and copper chelating activities were determined using colorimetric methods. The highest antioxidant activity, 71% inhibition, was found in the hydrolyzed protein isolate. Copper and iron chelating activities were highest in the lectin and phaseolin hydrolysates, 53% and 81%, respectively. Thus, experimental data indicates, as suggested by the database search, that antioxidant peptides are abundant in pepsin–pancreatin hydrolysates, which may represent a valuable health-promoting property in common bean.