Peptide profile and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of Prato cheese with salt reduction and Lactobacillus helveticus as an adjunct culture

Bioactive peptides in ripened cheeses: release during technological processes and resistance to the gastrointestinal tract

“…The ripening time and, consequently, the degree of proteolysis are also factors determining the bioactivity of the cheeses as the evolution of ripening is associated with the release and subsequent hydrolysis of bioactive peptides. Several studies have demonstrated the effect of time on the evolution of proteolysis and the consequent modification of the peptide profile of cheeses during ripening 13,14 . The association between the evolution of proteolysis and the bioactivity of cheese was demonstrated by Ong & Shah 16 , who observed an increase in the ACE‐inhibitory activity of Cheddar cheese during 6 months of ripening.…”

“…All factors that affect the enzymatic profile and, consequently, proteolysis can also affect the release of bioactive peptides in ripened cheeses. The heat treatment of the milk, the type of coagulant, the lactic cultures used and the ripening time are examples of factors already reported as relevant in the formation of bioactive peptides in cheeses 12–14,38,46 …”

“…Considering the complexity of the proteolytic systems of the most different LAB species and the importance of these enzymatic profiles in the release of biopeptides, the use of proteolytic adjunct cultures that produce enzymes with specificity to hydrolyze milk proteins and release bioactive peptides has been considered a strategy for the development of functional cheeses 14,16,54–60 …”

“…The use of adjunct cultures is a strategy that is easy to implement in the dairy industry but the choice of culture to be used as a modifier of the enzymatic profile of cheese must consider both its potential for the release of bioactive peptides and its suitability for each cheesemaking protocol. Thermophilic cultures, such as Lactobacillus helveticus , are suitable for incorporation into hard and semi‐hard cheeses, which reach temperatures above 40 °C during their manufacturing process, while Lactobacillus rhamnosus , a mesophilic culture, has been used successfully in the manufacturing of fresh and soft cheeses, with process temperatures in the range of 30–35 °C 12–14,61,62 …”

“…The peptide diversity in food products is a result of the enzymatic profile and the activity of the enzymes present in each food. In the specific case of ripened cheeses, several factors that affect the enzymatic profile or the activity of enzymes have already been explored in the literature as possible modifiers of the cheese peptide profile, such as heat treatment of milk, lactic cultures used in the process, salt content, ripening time, and temperature 12–16 …”