Marine-derived bioactive peptides applications

The major nutraceutical application of marine-derived bioactive peptides has been ACE inhibition, and a partial list of identified bioactive peptides is given in Table 27.1. Fish protein has been reported to be an advantageous starting material for preparation of ACE inhibitory peptide hydrolysates (Curtis et al., 2002). Marine-derived protein hydrolysate tends to contain high concentrations of cysteine, methionine, and arginine, all of which help reduce hypertension (Kristinsson, 2007). Such marine-derived peptides could be used as potent functional food additives and represent a healthier and natural alternative to ACE inhibitor drugs (Li et aL, 2004). Currently, the bioactive oligopeptides from dried bonito and sardine muscle have been approved as Foods for Specified Health Use by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Japan. 

Finally, an outstanding example of research into marine bioactive peptides is that of the conotoxin peptides derived from the venom of marine snails of the genus Conus [159]. The initial propeptide is processed by both post-translational modification and proteolytic cleavage into a variety of small peptides which are 10-50 amino acids in length [160, 161]. Research into potential therapeutic applications of the conotoxins has shown that a number of these peptides interact uniquely with ion channels to induce a wide variety of pharmacological effects in mammalian systems [162-164]. General reviews of the conotoxins are available [160, 165], as well as more-detailed reviews of their structures [166] and potential therapeutic uses [166-168]. 

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