Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity profiles of winged bean, green soybean and sea cucumber protein hydrolysates / Obren James Kawanding

Winged bean {Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) seed protein hydrolysates, green soy bean {Glycine max L) seed protein hydrolysates and sea cucumber (Stichopus horrens) protein hydrolysate were known as a potential source for generating peptides with biological activities such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory which act as an anti-hypertensive agent. Despite the functional properties of protein hydrolysate, there was lack of information on the safety of the hydrolysates. The safety of winged bean, green soy bean protein hydrolysates and sea cucumber (Stichopus horrens) protein hydrolysate has been confirmed in several in vitro studies including in vitro genotoxicity tests (Ames test and in vitro micronucleus test) and cytotoxicity test (neutral red uptake assay). Mutant strains of Salmonella typhimurium bacteria were used in Ames test to evaluate the mutagenicity effect of the protein hydrolysate samples while V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell was used to evaluate the clastogenicity effect of the hydrolysate samples. NIH/3T3 cell embryonic mouse fibroblast cell was used to determine the cytotoxic effect of the hydrolysate samples. The mutagenicity test, clastogenicity test and cytotoxicity test confirmed that winged bean, green soy bean and sea cucumber protein hydrolysates was not mutagenic, clastogenic and cytotoxic respectively. In conclusion, winged bean and green soy bean protein hydrolysate is safe in term of mutagenicity, clastogenicity and cytotoxicity. However, several tests including in vivo and pre-clinical study should be conducted in order to verify the safety of the protein hydrolysate samples so that the protein hydrolysate can be commercialized for human benefits.