Food-derived Bioactive Peptides - Opportunities for Designing Future Foods

Abstract

Dietary proteins are known to carry a wide range of nutritional, functional and biological properties. Nutritionally, the proteins are a source of energy and amino acids, which are essential for growth and maintenance. Functionally, the proteins contribute to the physicochemical and sensory properties of various protein-rich foods. Furthermore, many dietary proteins possess specific biological properties which make these components potential ingredients of functional or health-promoting foods. Many of these properties are attributed to physiologically active peptides encrypted in protein molecules. Particularly rich sources of such peptides are milk and egg, but they are also found in meat of various kinds as well as many plants. These peptides are inactive within the sequence of parent protein and can be released during gastrointestinal digestion or food processing. Depending on the amino acid sequence, these peptides may exert a number of different activities in vivo, affecting, e.g., the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune and nervous systems in addition to nutrient utilization. There is increasing commercial interest in the production of bioactive peptides from various sources. Industrial-scale production of such peptides is, however, hampered by the lack of suitable technologies. Bioactive peptides can also be produced from milk proteins through fermentation of milk, by starters employed in the manufacture of fermented milks or cheese. In particular, antihypertensive peptides have been identified in fermented milk, whey and ripened cheese. A few of these peptides have been commercialised in the form of fermented milks. There is a need to develop technologies which retain or even enhance the activity of bioactive peptides in food systems. Also, it is essential to study the optimum utilization of such peptides during passage through the gastrointestinal tract.

Free amino acids and bioactive peptides profile of Pastırma during its processing

“…Bioactive peptides have various health promoting effects such as antioxidant and prebiotic properties, opiate, antithrombotic or antimicrobial activity, immunomodulatory, mineralbinding ability or cholesterol and blood pressure lowering (ACE-inhibitory) effects (Chernukha, Fedulova, & Kotenkova, 2015;Korhonen & Pihlanto, 2003;Walther & Sieber, 2011). The bioactivity of peptides is based on their amino acid composition (peptides that usually contain between 3 and 20 amino acid residues), sequence, size, configuration and molecular mass, which are also affected by processing conditions (Korhonen & Pihlanto, 2003;Matsui & Matsumoto, 2006;Pihlanto-Leppälä, 2000).…”

“…The bioactivity of peptides is based on their amino acid composition (peptides that usually contain between 3 and 20 amino acid residues), sequence, size, configuration and molecular mass, which are also affected by processing conditions (Korhonen & Pihlanto, 2003;Matsui & Matsumoto, 2006;Pihlanto-Leppälä, 2000). Some recent studies have shown Spanish dry-cured ham as a natural source of peptides with antioxidant activity and antihypertensive effect (Escudero, Aristoy, Nishimura, Arihara & Toldrá, 2012;Escudero, Toldrá, Sentandreu, Nishimura & Arihara, 2012;Mora, Escudero, Fraser, Aristoy & Toldrá, 2014).…”

Evaluation of Antioxidant Activities of Peptides Isolated from Korean Fermented Soybean Paste, Chungkukjang

“…Bioactive peptides can be released by the microbial activity of fermented food or through enzymes derived from microorganism (Korhonen & Pihlanto, 2003). Therefore, fermentation is considered to be an efficient way to produce bioactive peptides and may also synthesize new peptide sequences.…”

“…Therefore, fermentation is considered to be an efficient way to produce bioactive peptides and may also synthesize new peptide sequences. Numerous peptides with various bioactive functions such as antioxidative, anticancer, immunomodulatory actions, opioid agonistic and antagonistic have been identified (Chung et al, 1997;Kang et al, 2003;Mahmoud, 1994;Lee, 1998;Lee et al, 2002;Korhonen & Pihlanto, 2003;Wenyi & Elvira, 2005). Generally, fermentation is not enough to fully hydrolyze soybean proteins.…”

New insights into the immunological effects of food bioactive peptides in animal models of intestinal inflammation

“…Proceedings of the Nutrition Society described (1,3,8) . In addition, a group of peptides can also act as biocarriers for Ca and other minerals, increasing their bioavailability (8,9) .…”