Antioxidant and antihypertensive protein hydrolysates in fish products – a review

Abstract

Fish proteins are a good source of bioactive peptides (BAPs). Such BAPs are derived through enzymatic hydrolysis of food proteins and can potentially by applied as health-promoting factors against chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including arterial hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Antihypertensive and antioxidant BAPs derived from fish could represent a good alternative to synthetic drugs. This article reviews the literature on BAPs derived from fish and fish products, with an emphasis on antihypertensive and antioxidant properties and the impact of technological processes on the activity of BAPs. The review shows that BAPs isolated from fish exhibit quite good stability when applied under moderate physical conditions and after simulated in vitro digestion. Processing can increase the susceptibility of peptides to digestion in the digestive tract as well as improving absorption and immune system responses. Therefore, it is important to determine the optimal conditions under which proteins (and peptides) can be processed in order to maintain their bioactivity. Future research efforts on BAPs should be directed towards an elucidation of their activity after technological processes.