Bioactive peptides with antidiabetic properties: a review

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder characterised by insufficient insulin production or insulin resistance. Disease incidence is accumulating at a rapidly increasing rate, resulting in a considerable social, health and economic burden in the modern world. Bioactive peptides show significant potential for use in health management strategies, particularly as components of drugs and functional foods for diabetes treatment. Many antidiabetic bioactive peptides have been isolated and validated. The aim of this review was to update the state of knowledge of the origin, structural characteristics and action. Additionally, the potential mechanisms of bioactive peptides on key enzymes and proteins, such as α‐amylase, α‐glucosidase, glucagon‐like peptides and dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV, that participate in glycaemic level control from the intake of carbohydrates to blood glucose regulation were overviewed. This knowledge should facilitate research and industrial efforts to better understand and evaluate the potential of bioactive peptides with antidiabetic properties for blood glucose level management.

Antidiabetic Food-Derived Peptides for Functional Feeding: Production, Functionality and In Vivo Evidences

“…At this level, the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) regulates the degradation of incretins according to physiological needs. GLP-1 and GIP have half-lives of approximately 2 min and 5-7 min respectively, before they are degraded by DPP-IV [32,33]. DPP-IV is a cell surface (EC 3.4.14.5) that cleaves dipeptides from the N-terminus of polypeptides, in which proline is at the penultimate position [34].…”

“…Therefore, the inhibition of digestive hydrolases (amylases, glucosidases) would avoid complex polysaccharides from becoming hydrolyzed, and thus absorbed in the bloodstream. Amylases inhibition can be exerted in the saliva and in the gastrointestinal tract, lowering the blood glucose level [32]. For its part, glucosidase inhibition would essentially preclude the uptake of glucose into the blood circulation, effectively decreasing postprandial hyperglycemia [24,42,43].…”

“…Although the previous strategies described are the most important in terms of health and the research related to bioactive peptides, some other ways to prevent diabetes have been described. There are different kinds of molecules acting in different organs, which also have antidiabetic effects via different mechanisms, such as insulin sensitizers, insulin secretagogues, GLP-1 mimetics or glizofins [32,33,50]. There is a need for further research since some peptides are able to stimulate incretin secretion, this effect being related (or not) to the DPP-IV inhibition.…”

“…In the literature, the discovery of peptides coming from food proteins able to inhibit amylases, glucosidases and DPP-IV has been reported. These kinds of enzyme-inhibitory peptides are still in the basic research stage, and none have been approved by the FDA [32]. Bioactive peptides can also regulate glucose homeostasis due to their ability to regulate gut hormones [35].…”

Effect of Milk Protein Hydrolysate on Some Hematological Parameters of Type II Diabetic Rats

“…Milk proteins are considered as the most important sources of bioactive peptides. Bioactive peptides show significant potential for use in health management strategies, particularly as components of drugs and functional foods for diabetes treatment [9]. The beneficial health effects of bioactive peptides are classified as cytomodulatory, mineral binding, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, blood-pressure lowering (Angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE-inhibitory), antithrombotic, antioxidant and opioid like, in addition to cholesterol-lowering and enhancers of mineral absorption/bioavailability [10][11][12][13][14].…”