Lunasin – a bioactive peptide from triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) seeds, inhibits proliferation of cancer HeLa and SK-OV-3 cells

The presented study demonstrates the influence of lunasin, a bioactive peptide isolated from seeds of winter triticale, on the proliferation of neoplastic cells. In order to conduct investigations, 2S fraction low-molecular-weight albumin proteins were extracted. SDS-PAGE electrophoresis separation of extracts indicated the presence of a 5 kDa peptide in the crude extract, which corresponded to the weight of lunasin. The next stage of protein purification involved ion-exchange column chromatography in an FPLC system on DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow. The separation of biomolecules by means of 2D electrophoresis confirmed that a peptide with an isoelectric point was present in the area, with a pH of about 5.5 and molecular mass of about 5 kDa. The presence of lunasin in the purified samples was confirmed by Western blot. The lunasin peptide affected the proliferation of cervical cancer (HeLa) and ovarian cancer (SK-OV-3) cell lines. The average decrease in the HeLa cell proliferation rate was 17%. The SK-OV-3 cell line was more susceptible to inhibition by the protein fraction containing lunasin than HeLa cells, with an average decrease in the proliferation rate of 48%.