Egg-yolk protein by-product as a source of ACE-inhibitory peptides obtained with using unconventional proteinase from Asian pumpkin (Cucurbita ficifolia).

Abstract

Peptides with specific biological activity can be used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic or food industries. Because of their potential role as physiological modulators, as well as theirhigh safety profile, they can be used as natural pharmacological compounds or functional food ingredients. The development of biotechnological solutions to obtain peptides with desired biological activity is already in progress. Studies in this area are focused on using unconventional highly specific enzymes and more efficient methods developed to conduct food process technologies. Natural peptides have many advantages. They are mainly toxicologically safe, have wide spectra of therapeutic actions, exhibit less side effects compared to synthetic drugs and are more efficiently absorbed in the intestinal tract. The complexity of operation of large scale technologies and high cost of purification techniques are limiting factors to the commercialization of food-derived bioactive peptides. Research on the isolation of bioactive peptides in order to reduce the processing time and costs is continuously developing. Bioactive peptides can also be released from protein by-products of the food industry, which reduce the substrate expense and production cost as well as provide the added advantage of an efficient waste disposal. Moreover, proteins as precursors of food-derived peptides are well-tolerated by the human body and therefore their application in drug development may reduce costs and duration of toxicological studies during research, development and clinical trials.