Development of bioactive peptides of cosmetic interest through environmentally sustainable processes

health and appearance. Their synthesis is mainly performed by Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) that usually involves large quantities of harmful reagents and solvents like DMF, which has been recently banned by EU. This project aims to design, synthesize, and characterize metabolically stable peptides for cosmeceutical use, employing greener solvents and reagents to minimize environmental impact. We focused our attention on Waglerin-1, a 22-mer peptide derived from tropical snake Tropidolaemus wagleri, characterized by an intramolecular disulfide bond that forms a rigid cysteine loop. The flexible N- and C- terminal parts as well as the disulphide bond contribute to the interaction of the toxin with the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR), classifying this toxin as cosmeceutical neurotransmitter-inhibiting peptide, endowed with botox-like activity.