Preclinical and Clinical Studies on Antioxidative, Antihypertensive and Cardioprotective Effect of Marine Proteins and Peptides—A Review

Abstract

High seafood consumption has traditionally been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, mainly due to the lipid lowering effects of the long chained omega 3 fatty acids. However, fish and seafood are also excellent sources of good quality proteins and emerging documentation show that, upon digestion, these proteins are sources for bioactive peptides with documented favorable physiological effects such as antioxidative, antihypertensive and other cardioprotective effects. This documentation is mainly from in vitro studies, but also animal studies are arising. Evidence from human studies evaluating the positive health effects of marine proteins and peptides are scarce. In one study, a reduction in oxidative stress after intake of cod has been documented and a few human clinical trials have been performed evaluating the effect on blood pressure. The results are, however, inconclusive. The majority of the human clinical trials performed to investigate positive health effects of marine protein and lean fish intake, has focused on blood lipids. While some studies have documented a reduction in triglycerides after intake of lean fish, others have documented no effects.

Effect of Dietary Components from Antarctic Krill on Atherosclerosis in apoE‐Deficient Mice

“…Inhibition of NO synthase worsened atherosclerosis development in apoEKO mice and arginine administration inhibited atherosclerosis formation in LDLR‐KO mice . Finally, food proteins of plant, animal and marine origin, undergoing gastrointestinal digestion, may release bioactive peptides, which could aid in the prevention of chronic disorders, including those associated with CVDs . Interestingly, antihypertensive peptides have been recently isolated from Antarctic krill .…”

“…The effect of n‐3 PUFAs on atherosclerosis has been investigated in several animal studies, which provided heterogeneous results, depending on the animal model and the source of n‐3 PUFAs supplementation . Interestingly, fish also contains proteins that are a complete source of essential and non‐essential amino acids and, upon digestion, may generate bioactive peptides with possible cardiovascular protective effects …”

Fish–derived proteins and their potential to improve human health

“…The utilization of marine by-products, such as waste and cuttings from which protein hydrolysates can be extracted, is both environmentally friendly and cost effective, with positive consequences for both the industry and human health. 17 Following ingestion of whole protein, bioactive peptides are formed naturally in the gut, either by enzymatic degradation (hydrolysis) or microbial fermentation. They can also be consumed as a nutritional supplement that contains alreadyhydrolyzed protein.…”

“…Preliminary data suggest that bioactive peptides derived from marine resources may have a beneficial effect on several health outcomes related to metabolic health. [17][18][19][20] This increased interest and early research have provided a platform from which to examine the potential for better utilization of rest material from the fishing industry. Waste material with a high content of high-quality protein may be valuable for human consumption, and fishderived protein hydrolysates with bioactive peptides are hypothesized to be particularly beneficial.…”

Boarfish (Capros aper) protein hydrolysate has potent insulinotropic and GLP‐1 secretory activity in vitro and acute glucose lowering effects in mice

“…The discovery of marine bioactive components could contribute to novel strategies providing therapeutic benefit and better management of many common diseases. To date, many marine bioactive agents have been discovered displaying anti‐obesity, anti‐diabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive and anti‐carcinogenic properties (Jensen & Mæhre, ; Wang et al ., ; Jin et al ., ). Fish protein is a rich but often unexploited source of bioactive peptides (Ryan et al ., ; Kim et al ., ; Urakova et al ., ).…”