Therapeutic potential of red bean (phaseolus vulgaris) peptides: anticancer, antihypertension, and antioxidant activities

Abstract

Red beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are gaining recognition for their potential in functional foods and nutraceuticals. This study isolated bioactive peptides under 3 kDa from red bean protein hydrolysate, generated by pepsin digestion and purified using sequential cation exchange, anion exchange, and reverse-phase chromatography. The resulting hydrolysate exhibited anticancer activity. Following chromatographic fractionation and LC-MS sequencing, eight candidate peptides were synthesized and comparatively assessed for bioactivity. Remarkably, peptide RB-8 (LIIPATSTKFL) demonstrated significant anticancer activity against colorectal (CaCO2) and cervical (SiHa) cancer cells through distinct mechanistic pathways. Furthermore, RB-7 (RGSKQRQKRQW) showed potent antihypertensive and DPPH radical scavenging activities, RB-6 (RRLRILL) displayed the strongest ABTS radical scavenging activity, and RB-1 (NLRKLKRL) exhibited the highest FRAP. These findings highlight the potential of red bean-derived peptides as natural agents for managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their applicability in the food industry. © The Author(s) 2025.