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Volume 27
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Protein Fraction and Derived Peptides from Amaranthus hypochondriacus: A Preliminary In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cell Lines

by
Fernanda Reséndiz-Otero
1,
Carmen Valadez-Vega
1,*,
Belinda Patricia Velázquez-Morales
1,
Aurea Bernardino-Nicanor
2,
Raúl Velasco-Azorsa
3,
Gabriel Betanzos-Cabrera
4,
Arturo Salazar-Campos
1,
Víctor Manuel Muñoz-Pérez
1 and
José Antonio Morales-González
5
1
Área Académica de Medicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Ex-Hacienda de la Concepción, San Agustín Tlaxiaca 42080, Hidalgo, Mexico
2
Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico/IT Celaya, Antonio García Cubas Pte #600 esq. Av. Tecnológico, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
3
Área Académica de Biología, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Mineral de la Reforma 42184, Hidalgo, Mexico
4
Área Académica de Nutrición, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Ex-Hacienda de la Concepción, San Agustín Tlaxiaca 42080, Hidalgo, Mexico
5
Laboratorio de Medicina de Conservación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, Del. Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(11), 4900; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114900 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 16 April 2026 / Revised: 19 May 2026 / Accepted: 22 May 2026 / Published: 28 May 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Characterization and Biological Function of Plant Extracts)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Amaranth proteins have been associated with various health benefits, including anticancer activity. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of proteins and peptides derived from Amaranthus hypochondriacus. A crude extract (CE) and protein fraction (PF) were obtained; peptides were produced by enzymatic hydrolysis, yielding one sample >30 kDa (P > 30 kDa) and another < 30 kDa (P < 30 kDa). Protein, phenolic, and antinutritional compounds contents were determined, along with antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231 and SiHa cells. CE exhibited the highest protein content of 182.6 mg/g, total phenols 129.40 mg GAE/g, and antioxidant capacity by both methods, 104.50 µM TEAC/g for ABTS•+ and 75.62 µM TEAC/g for DPPH•. PF showed the greatest concentration of saponins and lectins, 80 HU/mg and 60.30 HA/mg, respectively. PF displayed the strongest cytotoxic effect at 72 h in both cell lines, with IC50 of 44.98 µg/mL for MDA-MB-231 cells and 69.24 µg/mL for SiHa cell line. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed severe structural damage induced by PF in both cell lines. In conclusion, PF from Amaranthus hypochondriacus seeds showed the greatest in vitro cytotoxic effect against both cancer cell lines, principally in MDA-MB-231 cells.
Keywords: breast cancer; cervical cancer; amaranth proteins; amaranth peptides; cytotoxicity breast cancer; cervical cancer; amaranth proteins; amaranth peptides; cytotoxicity

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MDPI and ACS Style

Reséndiz-Otero, F.; Valadez-Vega, C.; Velázquez-Morales, B.P.; Bernardino-Nicanor, A.; Velasco-Azorsa, R.; Betanzos-Cabrera, G.; Salazar-Campos, A.; Muñoz-Pérez, V.M.; Morales-González, J.A. Protein Fraction and Derived Peptides from Amaranthus hypochondriacus: A Preliminary In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cell Lines. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 4900. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114900

AMA Style

Reséndiz-Otero F, Valadez-Vega C, Velázquez-Morales BP, Bernardino-Nicanor A, Velasco-Azorsa R, Betanzos-Cabrera G, Salazar-Campos A, Muñoz-Pérez VM, Morales-González JA. Protein Fraction and Derived Peptides from Amaranthus hypochondriacus: A Preliminary In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cell Lines. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(11):4900. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114900

Chicago/Turabian Style

Reséndiz-Otero, Fernanda, Carmen Valadez-Vega, Belinda Patricia Velázquez-Morales, Aurea Bernardino-Nicanor, Raúl Velasco-Azorsa, Gabriel Betanzos-Cabrera, Arturo Salazar-Campos, Víctor Manuel Muñoz-Pérez, and José Antonio Morales-González. 2026. "Protein Fraction and Derived Peptides from Amaranthus hypochondriacus: A Preliminary In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cell Lines" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 11: 4900. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114900

APA Style

Reséndiz-Otero, F., Valadez-Vega, C., Velázquez-Morales, B. P., Bernardino-Nicanor, A., Velasco-Azorsa, R., Betanzos-Cabrera, G., Salazar-Campos, A., Muñoz-Pérez, V. M., & Morales-González, J. A. (2026). Protein Fraction and Derived Peptides from Amaranthus hypochondriacus: A Preliminary In Vitro Study of Cytotoxic Activity in Cancer Cell Lines. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(11), 4900. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27114900

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