9797
0
Posted on Mar 31, 2015, 6 a.m.
A staple of the diet of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, amaranth seeds are a source of bioactive peptides with antihypertensive and antioxidative properties.
Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) is a gluten-free grain with a high protein concentration. Alvaro Montoya-Rodriguez,from Ciudad Univ (Mexico), and colleagues identified 15 main proteins present in amaranth: a number of these showed high occurrence frequencies of angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitor peptides and dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor, thereby suggesting antihypertensive effects. As well, the team identified bioactive peptides with antioxidative properties. The study authors submit that: “The results of this study support the concept that amaranth grain could be part of a ‘healthy’ diet and thereby prevent chronic human diseases.”
Alvaro Montoya-Rodriguez, Mario A. Gomez-Favela, Cuauhtemoc Reyes-Moreno, Jorge Milan-Carrillo, Elvira Gonzalez de Mejía. “Identification of Bioactive Peptide Sequences from Amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) Seed Proteins and Their Potential Role in the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, Volume 14, Issue 2, March 2015, Pages: 139–158.
