Heart Health Peptides from Macroalgae and Their Potential Use in Functional Foods

Abstract

Macroalgae have for centuries been consumed whole among the East Asian populations of China, Korea, and Japan. Due to the environment in which they grow, macroalgae produce unique and interesting biologically active compounds. Protein can account for up to 47% of the dry weight of macroalgae depending on species and time of cultivation and harvest. Peptides derived from marcoalgae are proven to have hypotensive effects in the human circulatory system. Hypertension is one of the major, yet controllable, risk factors in cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is the main cause of death in Europe, accounting for over 4.3 million deaths each year. In the United States it affects one in three individuals. Hypotensive peptides derived from marine and other sources have already been incorporated into functional foods such as beverages and soups. The purpose of this review is to highlight the potential of heart health peptides from macroalgae and to discuss the feasibility of expanding the variety of foods these peptides may be used in.

Antihypertensive Properties of Plant Protein Derived Peptides

“…PAF-AH is a circulatory enzyme secreted by inflammatory cells and it is involved in atherosclerosis. The discovery and application of natural PAF-AH into health promoting foods open up considerable potential [183].…”

The Marine Macroalgae of the Genus Ulva: Chemistry, Biological Activities and Potential Applications

“…The macroalgae of the order Ulvales are already used in Asia as a food condiment and as a nutritional supplement in Japan, China and other Southeast Asian countries as well as in North and South America and Oceania. For instance, they are consumed as part of the traditional Hawaiian cuisine [67], in Japan, they are included in a variety of dishes such as salads, soups, cookies, meals and condiments as well as a mixed product with other green seaweeds [7,68]. Interestingly, the interest in these algae as a novelty food is expanding in the West [7], and especially in France where they were authorized for human consumption as vegetables [69].…”

“…In the recent years, ulvan has been investigated in order to develop functional foods [26] since they cannot be digested in the human gastrointestinal tract [45,47,67,70] and therefore may be regarded as a good source of dietary fiber and a potential source of prebiotics [67]. It is interesting to note that only few species of Ulva have been studied for their application in food industry.…”

Bioprospecting of Turbinaria Macroalgae as a Potential Source of Health Protective Compounds

“…[8 -10] Also peptide compounds have been described as highly promising health promotors. For example, Fitzgerald et al [2] clearly summarized the information about hypotensive peptides originating from macroalgae which can be incorporated into functional foods' such as beverages and soups.…”