6 - Peptide nutraceuticals

Abstract

Quality of life can be improved by the effective prevention of chronic disorders and by healthy aging. Consumption of healthy food offers both the energy source and nutrients that help to stay healthier by minimizing the risk of several diseases. Considering the health benefits, the impact of nutraceuticals offering several health benefits and an alternative to contemporary medicine in improving the quality of health is immense. The strong association between nutraceuticals and prevention of several diseases is highly documented. Nutraceutical is the association of the terms “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical” and is considered as a food or food product that can offer both health and medical benefits for the prevention and treatment of disease. Owing to the functional benefits and ability to defend several disorders, nutraceuticals falls under various categories including protein/amino based, isoprenoid/terpenoid derivatives, phenolic compounds, carbohydrate derivatives, fatty acids and structural lipids, minerals, microbial (prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics), etc. Among the different types of nutraceutical, peptide nutraceuticals are most versatile with several functionalities including antioxidant, antihypertensive, antiproliferative/anticancer, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, etc. Although the origins of peptide nutraceuticals are different (from various sources, e.g., plant, animal, microbial, etc.), their vital role in the contribution of nutrients and prevention of diseases is widely studied. Most of the bioactive peptide nutraceuticals are isolated from protein precursors by digestive enzymes, during the processing of food, storage, or by the in vitro hydrolysis by several proteolytic enzymes. In this chapter a brief description of peptide nutraceuticals with an emphasis on their activities based on their different origins (animal, plant, and microbial) is given.