Abstract

Bioactive peptides are becoming more widely acknowledged as multifunctional substances that promote human health. Several reports revealed their therapeutic effects including antioxidant, anticancer, antihypertensive, cholesterol-lowering effects, etc. The present study aims to investigate the antioxidant, antihypercholesterolemic, and cytotoxic activities of peptides extracted from melon seed. The melon seeds were removed from fruits collected from a local market, dried and ground into powder. Protein hydrolysis was conducted by pepsin, thermolysin and trypsin digestion. Fractionation of the hydrolysate to obtain the peptide fractions (< 10 kDa, 10–30 kDa and > 30 kDa) was performed using ultrafiltration membranes. The fraction exhibiting the strongest antioxidant activity underwent further assays for anti-hypercholesterolemic and cytotoxic effects. It was observed that the fraction containing peptides of < 10 kDa molecular weight exhibited greatest antioxidant activity. Additionally, < 10 kDa fraction also showed antihypercholesterolemic and cytotoxic properties. Overall, this study suggests that peptides extracted from melon seed, particularly those with a molecular weight of < 10 kDa exhibit multifunctional activities, including antioxidant, antihypercholesterolemic, and cytotoxic properties, potentially conferring health benefits for humans.