The Institute of Pharmacology at the Medical University of Vienna isolated a peptide (a small protein molecule) from beetroot. Such a peptide can inhibit a specific enzyme that is responsible for breaking down messenger molecules in the body. Due to its particularly stable molecular structure and pharmacological properties, the potential active ingredient may be a good candidate for the development of a drug for the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases such as neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases,Dementia or Alzheimer'sbe.
Benefits of beetroot for medicine
The peptide found in the roots of this plant belongs to a group of molecules that they use, among other things, as a chemical defense against pests such as bacteria, viruses or insects. By analyzing thousands of genomic data points, the research team was able to define a series of new cysteine-rich peptides. These were then assigned phylogenetically within the plant kingdom. Attention was drawn to a possible function as so-called protease inhibitors. The beetroot peptide can therefore inhibit enzymes that digest proteins, according to the study authors. In addition, it specifically inhibits prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), which is involved in the breakdown of protein hormones in the body and can therefore regulate inflammatory reactions.
POP is a widely discussed drug target for neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis. This means that in future studies, this group of plant peptides called knottins, found in, for example, beetroot, could potentially represent a drug candidate for the treatment of these diseases. In addition, the peptide can be detected in commercial beetroot juice.
Future perspectives
Such a peptide is not only found in root vegetables, but can also be detected in low concentrations in commercially available juices. Although beetroot is considered a very healthy vegetable, it is not certain whether it can prevent dementia. The peptide is only present in very small amounts and it is not clear whether it can be absorbed as such through the gastrointestinal tract. Those of laboratory techniciansresearch work carried outIn this regard, we are developing drug candidates that are based on biological active ingredients. So scientists search large databases that contain genetic information from plants and animals. They decode new types of such molecules and study their structure. In this way, they were able to test them pharmacologically on enzymes or cellular receptors. One such well-known active ingredient is the so-called G protein. Finally, these are analyzed in the disease models.
