Investigating biochemical parameters as health-promoting features in hemp seeds

Hemp seeds, harvested from Cannabis sativa L. plants, are an extremely versatile foodstuff due to their valuable nutritional properties. They contain a good amount of protein, which is easily digestible and rich in essential amino acids, and fatty acids in an omega 3 and omega 6 ratio optimal for human nutrition, fiber, and minerals. Proteins, which represent 18-23 % of the seed, are also an important source of bioactive peptides, i.e. peptides that have multiple beneficial properties for humans. This manuscript summarizes the work carried out during three years of research at the Laboratory of Biochemistry at the University of Piemonte Orientate, San Giuseppe campus, Vercelli. Firstly, different methods of protein extraction and solubilization were developed, both the total fraction and the reserve fraction. In addition, the results of various research are reported, which show how important the environment in which hemp plants are cultivated is, as it is able to modify both the protein content of hemp seeds and the fatty acid composition, as well as the ability of the protein fraction to carry out biological antioxidant activities. After an excursus on the proteomics of seeds, we moved on to a focus on the role of peptides on human health, first through an in-depth computational analysis that led to the identification of the possible peptide-receptor interaction, the main ones in terms of biological activities, then by analyzing the interaction of hydrolysates with two different cell lines.