Synthesis, purification, characterization, and antinociceptive activity of opioids peptides

Background Bioactive peptides prospection is important for biotechnology field as well as a starting point in many research areas, such as: new drugs development and production of genetically modified plants [1]. In general, bioactive peptides have been identified as candidates for the new drugs development because their intrinsic properties concerning some potential activities, like high specificity, potency, less toxicity, and also chemistry and biological diversity [2]. Peptides can present diverse activities such as antimicrobial, opioids, hypotensive, antithrombotic among others. In 2010, around 60 synthetic peptides with therapeutic potential have been available to pharmaceutical marketing and can be used in many pathologies like, allergies, asthma, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, gastrointestinal dysfunction, growth problems, inflammation, obesity, infectious diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, pain, vaccines and others. [3,4]. For pharmaceutical industry, in therapeutic area, the most promising projects are those that focus on cancer, pain, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and depression [5]. This study aims to design sequences of synthetic peptides that may have dual activity: antinociceptive and hypotensive. These peptides act on different targets, opioids receptors and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), respectively.