Anticancer and antiproliferative properties of food-derived protein hydrolysates and peptides

Cancers of all types are among the four main non-communicable diseases, a category of diseases responsible for 38 million yearly deaths worldwide. Although various medical procedures including surgery, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, stem cell transplant and chemotherapy have been used for decades in the treatment and control of cancer, current survival rates suggest that more definitive and effective treatment strategies are warranted. This work provides a succinct summary of the various methods used for producing anticancer peptides and protein hydrolysates from food sources, their modes of action, as well as descriptions of their antitumour properties in cellular and animal models. Although the mechanisms by which protein hydrolysates and peptides exert antitumor and antiproliferative effects are not entirely elucidated, there is evidence pointing to antioxidative function as an important predictor of their anticancer property.