Biofunctional properties of milk protein derived bioactive peptides - A review.

Milk has long been acknowledged as a source of macro- and micro nutrients. Presently, several identified biologically active substances from milk and their derivatives has attracted much attention from the scientific community. These bioactive compounds confer many health benefits that might support disease prevention. Worldwide, there is an increasing interest in the therapeutic potential of bioactive peptides which collectively present a cornucopia of bioactivities for utilization in humans. Bioactive peptides are hydrolysates with specific amino acid sequences that exert a positive physiological effect on the body. Most of the biological activities are encrypted within the primary sequence of the native protein and can be released during digestion by proteolytic enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract or during fermentation and food processing. Milk protein is an important source of bioactive peptides which may contribute to regulate the nervous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular systems as well as the immune system. Milk protein derived bioactive peptides are shown to have antihypertensive, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, antioxidative and mineral-binding properties. Bioactive peptides derived from milk proteins are of particular interest to the food industry due to the potential functional and physiological roles that they exhibit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]