Evaluation of Angiotensin-converting Enzyme Inhibitory Potential of Seed Protein Hydrolysates from Muskmelon, Watermelon and Sunflower

INTRODUCTION: Antihypertensive treatments, including diuretics and beta/calcium channel blockers, are associated with a range of adverse effects. Naturally sourced ACE inhibitors may serve as viable alternatives to synthetic medications. Various peptides derived from plants have been assessed for their ACE inhibitory properties through both in vivo and in vitro studies. The objective of this research was to evaluate the ACE inhibitory activity of seed-protein (muskmelon, watermelon, and sunflower) hydrolysates generated using different proteases. METHODS: ACE was extracted from sheep lung tissue, while protein from the mentioned seeds was isolated and hydrolysed using pepsin, trypsin, and crude enzyme from the stem of Wrightia tinctoria. Tricine-SDS PAGE (16%) was conducted to observe the nature of hydrolysis. The method by Cushman and Cheung was used to examine ACE inhibition. The results were compared across different sources and enzymatic treatments. RESULTS: Muskmelon hydrolysate treated with W. tinctoria enzyme exhibited the highest ACE inhibition at 85.17% ± 0.39 after 3 h of incubation (p