In Vitro Investigation of the Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Activity of Peptides Derived From Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) Bran.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common and highly aggressive tumor in the world. Although immunotherapy, surgical resection, targeted therapy and HCC transplantation could improve the prognosis for HCC patients, the tumor recurrence rate of the tumor remains high due to its insidious and invasive nature. Therefore, the development of new HCC therapeutic agents has become particularly important. Quinoa is abundant in bioactive peptides, proteins, and other functional ingredients that confer various health benefits to humans. Quinoa bran, the outer seed coat of quinoa, like quinoa, has extremely high nutritional value and rich protein content. This study firstly found that hydrolysate from quinoa bran protein (QBPP) exhibited targeting anti-HCC effect on the proliferation of HepG2 and Bel-7402 HCC cells in a concentration dependent manner, without significant toxic side effects on normal human liver cells L02. Further, QBPP exerted anti-HCC effect through mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and inhibition of HCC cells migration. Collectively, QBPP shows potential as a next-generation dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of HCC.