Bioactive peptides as functional food ingredients

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Highlights

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  Bioactive peptides from plant proteins: production, mechanisms, and applications.

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  Andean crops as promising sources of multifunctional bioactive peptides.

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  Surfactant peptides, electrostatic interactions, inhibitors, and receptor modulation.

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  In silico tools, peptide databases, and recombinant technologies.

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  Market trends, products, and future perspectives in the development of nutraceuticals.

Abstract

The development of bioactive peptides is of great interest in the food and pharmaceutical industries because of their positive impact on health. However, peptide's bioavailability depends on their stability along the gastrointestinal tract and their ability to be transported to targets located in peripheral organs, whose mechanisms are still poorly understood. However, several studies, mainly in vitro and in vivo, have shown antimicrobial, antitumoral, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antioxidative effects. Indeed, some bioactive peptides are already on the global market. One of the current and future perspectives includes the development of novel bioactive peptides from food plant proteins. In this regard, some grains and seeds, such as quinoa, maize, cañihua and tarwi, which were domesticated in the Andes, are attracting global interest due to their high nutritional value and potential as a source of novel bioactive peptides. Tarwi stands out for its high protein content compared to other legumes.

Keywords

Novel bioactive peptides

Food plant peptides

Nutraceutical peptides

Andean food plants

Peptides production

Data availability

No data was used for the research described in the article.

© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.