Researchers made three positively‑charged, water‑loving peptides from soybean proteins and showed they can kill some bacteria and yeast, neutralize bacterial toxins, and promote blood‑vessel growth, all while causing very little damage to red blood cells.

In this study, we identified and chemically synthesized three cationic and amphipathic peptides (Glycinin-17, BCAS-16, and BCBS-11) from soybean proteins. These peptides had high isoelectric points, high positive net charges, and included multiple hydrophobic amino acids. Subsequently, we identified multiple functions of these peptides, including antimicrobial, lipopolysaccharide-neutralizing, and angiogenic activities, and examined their cytotoxic activities against mammalian red blood cells. Glycinin-17, BCAS-16, and BCBS-11 exhibited antimicrobial activity against Porphyromonas gingivalis and Candida albicans whereas Glycinin-17 did not possess antimicrobial effects on Propionibacterium acnes and Streptococcus mutans. Membrane-depolarization assays and flow cytometric analyses showed that the antimicrobial properties of Glycinin-17, BCAS-16, and BCBS-11 against P. gingivalis, P. acnes, and S. mutans were dependent on membrane-disrupting potential. In contrast, major antimicrobial activities of these peptides against C. albicans were dependent on interactions with targets other than cell membranes. Furthermore, chromogenic Limulus amebocyte lysate assays showed that 50% effective concentrations (EC₅₀ , 0.12-0.31 μM) of these three peptides neutralize LPS with similar potency (EC₅₀ : 0.11 μM) to that of polymyxin B. Moreover, tube-formation assays in human umbilical vein endothelial cells showed similar angiogenic activities of the three peptides as that following treatment with LL-37. Although BCAS-16 exhibited hemolytic activity, the rate of hemolysis for Glycinin-17 and BCBS-11 in the presence of 500-μM Glycinin-17 and BCBS-11 was less than 2%. These results demonstrate that cationic and amphipathic peptides from soybean proteins, particularly Glycinin-17 and BCBS-11, have potential as multifunctional ingredients for healthcare applications.