Bioactive peptides are defined as specific regions of proteins with bioactive amino acid sequences, including antioxidant, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, anti adipogenic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. These peptides usually contain 2-20 amino acids and have a molecular weight less than 6000 Da. Their biological activity is mainly determined by their composition and amino acid sequence. These peptides and proteins have been identified as possible substitutes for chemicals used in the food industry.
Based on the unique functions of peptides, our peptidomimetic development technology is committed to developing a variety of peptidomimetics with bioactive functions and will be used in the food industry. Through our development and modification technology, we can make up for and optimize the structural and functional deficiencies of existing peptides. For example, in the development of health food, the stability of various biological activities is insufficient and the bioavailability is low.
Our technology will give bioactive peptides more uses in the food industry and promote the development of the food industry!
Application of Peptidomimetics in Food Industry
Recent studies have linked the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cancer to nutritional factors. With the continuous improvement of people's understanding of the relationship between food and health, the market of functional food is also expanding.
Development of Health Foods
- In the manufacture of functional food or health care products, bioactive peptides have been used as basic ingredients to confer potential health benefits. Commercially available functional food with peptides for anti-cancer, anti hypertension, mineral binding, stress relief and satiety induction, including dairy drinks, beverages, sweets, powders, capsules and tablets. In Mexico, a commercially available fermented milk product has multiple functions, such as ACE inhibition and antithrombotic activity.
- Based on this, peptidomimetics that break the limitations of existing bioactive peptides will help the development and application of new health food.
Development of Food Additives
- Oxidation of food during storage can lead to loss of nutrients, off-flavor and loss of quality. Peptides remove free radicals and chelate metal ions to prevent enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation. Therefore, peptides have been tested and used as antioxidants in food. In addition, some peptides are often used as food preservatives due to their antimicrobial activity. For example, Nicin, an antimicrobial peptide derived from Lactococcus lactis, has been used as a food preservative for many years.
- Based on this, peptidomimetic development technology will be helpful to the development of peptide based food additives by overcoming some structural or functional defects of existing peptides.
Fig. 2. Perspective of bio-based food additives and colorants. (Sun, et al., 2021)
Development of Food Packaging Materials
- Food packaging plays an important role in ensuring food safety and quality. To this end, many biological preservatives of natural and antimicrobial origin have been used as polymers in the food packaging industry. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been extensively studied as potential biological preservatives. However, their interaction with certain food components (proteins and fats) and their stability (eg, proteolytic degradation) may lead to reduced antimicrobial activity.
- Based on this, peptidomimetic development technology will further optimize the functional properties of antimicrobial peptides, such as modifying or removing its sensitive sites to enhance stability, which will be beneficial to its wider application in the food packaging industry.
Fig. 3 Active packaging containing bioactive compounds for packaging of various food. (Liu, et al., 2021)
Others
Functional peptides and their peptidomimetics have also been widely used in other food fields. For example, adding some active peptides to baked foods can improve their nutritional value, enhance water retention and prevent aging; they can be modified in the development of infant food. The latter peptidomimetic can prevent allergy to special ingredients and promote the absorption of other trace elements while meeting nutritional needs.
CD BioSciences is committed to the development of high-throughput peptidomimetics, which are widely used in the field of food industry. If you have any application or service you want to know about, please do not hesitate to contact us immediately for the best advice and solutions.
References
- De Castro, R. J. S., & Sato, H. H. (2015). Biologically active peptides: Processes for their generation, purification and identification and applications as natural additives in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Food Research International, 74, 185-198.
- 2. Sun, L., Xin, F., & Alper, H. S. (2021). Bio-synthesis of food additives and colorants-a growing trend in future food. Biotechnology Advances, 47, 107694.
- Liu, Y., Sameen, D. E., Ahmed, S., Dai, J., & Qin, W. (2021). Antimicrobial peptides and their application in food packaging. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 112, 471-483
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