Sacha inchi meal protein hydrolysates: summary of a 2023 in vitro study
This page summarises a laboratory study published in 2023 in Applied Sciences. It looked at protein hydrolysates (peptides) made from sacha inchi meal. The tests were done in test tubes and cell cultures: it is not a health claim for sacha inchi powder or for any Amazon Andes product.
The study at a glance
- Reference
- Shu T., Wang K., Zhang X. (2023). Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Activity of Sacha Inchi Meal Protein Hydrolysate. Applied Sciences 13(11): 6528. doi:10.3390/app13116528
- Type of study
- In vitro: chemical assays and liver cells in culture (HepG2). No animals or people.
- Material
- Sacha inchi meal, the protein-rich residue left after pressing the oil (about 55% protein), hydrolysed with six enzymes: pepsin, papain, trypsin, Protamex, alkaline protease and bromelain.
- Tests
- ABTS radical scavenging, inhibition of the enzyme DPP-IV and glucose consumption by insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.
What the authors reported
- Antioxidant activity: at 5 mg/mL, the hydrolysates made with alkaline protease and with Protamex scavenged 99.83% and 100.00% of ABTS radicals, close to vitamin C.
- DPP-IV inhibition: at 2.5 mg/mL, the Protamex and alkaline protease hydrolysates inhibited the enzyme by 74.15% and 56.38% (IC50 1.007 and 2.130 mg/mL).
- Cell test: at 800 µg/mL, all hydrolysates increased glucose consumption by insulin-resistant HepG2 cells by 187–349% compared with the untreated model group.
The authors conclude that the hydrolysates show antioxidant and “hypoglycemic” activity in vitro and could be studied further for functional food and pharmaceutical development.
What this study does not show
- All results come from test tubes and cultured cells; there were no animal or human trials.
- Hydrolysates prepared in the laboratory with specific enzymes are not the same as a commercial sacha inchi protein powder.
- It does not show any effect of eating sacha inchi powder or protein.
Why it is relevant for product developers
Sacha inchi meal, the by-product of oil pressing, is the starting point for protein ingredients. Research on its peptides is active, which makes it an ingredient to watch for plant-protein development. Our sacha inchi protein powder contains 58.3 g of protein per 100 g (2026 technical data sheet); see the protein and amino-acid data on our home page or request the technical data sheet.
Before you use this in a product
Any claim on a finished product must follow the rules of the market where it is sold. In the European Union, only health claims authorised under Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 may be used on foods, and food information must not attribute to a food the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 7). In the United States, foods and dietary supplements may not claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease, except for health claims authorised by the FDA.
This page summarises published research for information purposes. It is not a health claim about sacha inchi or about Amazon Andes products, which are foods and food ingredients and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Read the original article: Applied Sciences (2023).