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Volume 30
Issue 18
10.3390/molecules30183683
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Review

Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action

by
Sara Avilés-Gaxiola
1,
Israel García-Aguiar
1,
Luis Alfonso Jiménez-Ortega
2,
Erick Paul Gutiérrez-Grijalva
3 and
José Basilio Heredia
2,*
1
Health Sciences Department, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Blvd. Lola Beltrán and Blvd. Rolando Arjona, Culiacán 80020, Mexico
2
Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, AC Nutraceutical and Functional Foods, Carretera a Eldorado Km 5.5, Col. Campo el Diez, Culiacán 80110, Mexico
3
Cátedras CONACYT—Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo, AC Carretera a Eldorado Km 5.5, Col. Campo el Diez, Culiacán 80110, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Molecules 2025, 30(18), 3683; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183683
Submission received: 22 August 2025 / Revised: 6 September 2025 / Accepted: 8 September 2025 / Published: 10 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Constituents and Biological Activities of Natural Sources)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Different cultures worldwide have attributed particular healing abilities to various plants for a long time. After decades of studies, research has demonstrated that their bioactivity is associated mainly with the presence of natural products, including short protein fragments known as peptides. These molecules may occur naturally in plants or be generated from plant protein through enzyme hydrolysis. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has linked plant-derived peptides to diverse biological activities, underscoring the importance of their structural and physicochemical features in determining functionality. Compared with peptides of animal or microbial origin, plant peptides stand out for their high abundance in sustainable sources, low allergenic potential, and distinctive structural traits- such as enrichment in hydrophobic and aromatic residues- that influence their stability, mechanisms of action, and biological functions. This review compiles and analyzes current literature to provide insights into how amino acid composition, secondary structure, net charge, and hydrophobicity influence peptide bioactivity. In addition, the review highlights the mechanisms of action most frequently described for plant peptides. Finally, the article discusses the current landscape and prospects of peptide-based drugs.
Keywords: plant bioactive peptides; structure; function; diseases; health plant bioactive peptides; structure; function; diseases; health

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MDPI and ACS Style

Avilés-Gaxiola, S.; García-Aguiar, I.; Jiménez-Ortega, L.A.; Gutiérrez-Grijalva, E.P.; Heredia, J.B. Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action. Molecules 2025, 30, 3683. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183683

AMA Style

Avilés-Gaxiola S, García-Aguiar I, Jiménez-Ortega LA, Gutiérrez-Grijalva EP, Heredia JB. Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action. Molecules. 2025; 30(18):3683. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183683

Chicago/Turabian Style

Avilés-Gaxiola, Sara, Israel García-Aguiar, Luis Alfonso Jiménez-Ortega, Erick Paul Gutiérrez-Grijalva, and José Basilio Heredia. 2025. "Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action" Molecules 30, no. 18: 3683. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183683

APA Style

Avilés-Gaxiola, S., García-Aguiar, I., Jiménez-Ortega, L. A., Gutiérrez-Grijalva, E. P., & Heredia, J. B. (2025). Bioactive Plant Peptides: Physicochemical Features, Structure-Function Insights and Mechanism of Action. Molecules, 30(18), 3683. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30183683

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