Health-Promoting and Therapeutic Attributes of Milk-Derived Bioactive Peptides

Abstract

Milk-derived bioactive peptides (BAPs) possess several potential attributes in terms of therapeutic capacity and their nutritional value. BAPs from milk proteins can be liberated by bacterial fermentation, in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis, food processing, and gastrointestinal digestion. Previous evidence suggested that milk protein-derived BAPs have numerous health-beneficial characteristics, including anti-cancerous activity, anti-microbial activity, anti-oxidative, anti-hypertensive, lipid-lowering, anti-diabetic, and anti-osteogenic. In this literature overview, we briefly discussed the production of milk protein-derived BAPs and their mechanisms of action. Milk protein-derived BAPs are gaining much interest worldwide due to their immense potential as health-promoting agents. These BAPs are now used to formulate products sold in the market, which reflects their safety as natural compounds. However, enhanced commercialization of milk protein-derived BAPs depends on knowledge of their particular functions/attributes and safety confirmation using human intervention trials. We have summarized the therapeutic potentials of these BAPs based on data from in vivo and in vitro studies.

Bioactive Antimicrobial Peptides from Food Proteins: Perspectives and Challenges for Controlling Foodborne Pathogens

“…Hypothetically, any protein can generate a BAP through hydrolysis. Considering food proteins, different protein-rich foods, including animal-, plant-, and microbial-sourced (fungal and bacterial), have been associated with BAP production [ 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ].…”

“…Notably, many proteins are exclusive of animal organisms, making food of animal origin a valuable source for the generation of specific BAPs. For instance, many of the most-studied BAPs, including lactotransferrin and lactoferricin, are derived from milk [ 43 , 46 , 47 ]. There has also been a trend of studies into seafood-derived BAPs, especially regarding by-products [ 34 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].…”

Involvement of Versatile Bacteria Belonging to the Genus Arthrobacter in Milk and Dairy Products

“…Milk-derived bioactive peptides are usually encrypted and inactive forms within the primary structure of milk protein and they are activated by proteolysis of casein namely α-, β-, γ- and κ-casein [ 123 ]. Numerous health-beneficial effects have been attributed to milk-derived bioactive peptides such as anti-hypertensive, hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, and anti-osteoporotic effects [ 124 , 125 , 126 ]. In regards to health-promoting effects, milk-derived bioactive peptides are supposedly considered potential ingredients of functional foods.…”

Comparative yields of antimicrobial peptides released from human and cow milk proteins under infant digestion conditions predicted by in silico methodology

“…There are also various protein PTMs that occur in bacterial AMPs, but the number of proteins and the level of modifications are lower than the eukaryotic proteins. 47 By comparison, most food-derived AMPs derived from enzymatically hydrolysed food proteins either in vivo or in vitro, 6,7 carry only the PTMs associated with the protein functions per se, and not the PTMs associated with AMP bioactivity of gene-encoded host or bacterial AMPs.…”

“…In particular, there are a variety of AMPs encrypted within the primary sequences of milk proteins that can be released by enzyme hydrolysis, either in vivo by digestive and bacterial enzymes 6 or in vitro by many different enzymes. 7 The properties of several milk protein-derived 'food' AMPs have been reported. For example, lactoferricin B, a peptide released by gastric pepsin digestion of cow lactoferrin (Lf ), showed in vitro antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, 8 and both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.…”