Identification and functional analysis of phycocyanin-derived bioactive peptides with non-small cell lung cancer cell inhibition

Abstract

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most lethal types of malignancies around the world. Phycocyanin, a type of functional food additive derived from photosynthetic pigment protein in Spirulina cells, has been verified to exhibit antineoplastic effect on NSCLC. However, the investigation on bioactive peptides of phycocyanin, especially in NSCLC, remains poorly documented. The goal of this work is to identify novel phycocyanin-derived bioactive peptides with NSCLC cell inhibition function. Phycocyanin was hydrolysed by trypsin, followed by peptides isolation, purification and identification through ultrafiltration, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS), respectively. Three phycocyanin peptides (PCP1: AGDASVLEDR, PCP2: ADSLLSGLR and PCP3: MFDAFTK) predicted to exhibiting anticancer ability were identified. Molecular docking analysis indicated the peptides had strong interaction with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a proto-oncogene in cells. Phenotype experiments showed that peptides significantly inhibited growth and migration of A549, H1299 and LTEP-a2 cells. Moreover, they also suppressed the activity of Akt pathway of NSCLC cells. Three phycocyanin-derived peptides might be suitable for development as new anti-lung cancer agents, owing to their antineoplastic activities. The current work also provides a vital basis for further utilization of marine algae nutrient components.