Extraction and identification of bioactive peptides from Panxian dry-cured ham with multifunctional activities

Panxian dry-cured ham, a typical representative of traditional Chinese dry-cured ham, has a minimum time of ripening of 12 months, which results in intense proteolysis and the generation of numerous peptides. The purpose of this study was to measure the peptides with the activities of antioxidant, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and platelet-activating factor-acetulhydrolase (PAF-AH) inhibitory, from the Panxian dry-cured ham. The results showed that Panxian dry-cured ham extracts had antioxidant, ACE, and PAF-AH inhibitory activities, and these activities increased significantly with increasing concentrations of extracts (P < 0.05). The <3 kDa peptide fraction prepared by 3 kDa cutoff membrane had significantly stronger inhibitory activity, compared with 3–10 kDa and >10 kDa fractions (P < 0.05). It was identified for the peptide fractions of below 3 kDa to use Nano-LC-ESI-MS/MS. Totally, 66 peptides were identified containing 2–16 amino acid residues. Among these peptides, 22.7%, 15.2%, and 9.09% were derived from myosin, beta-enolase, and actin, respectively. The bioactive peptides of Panxian dry-cured ham, generated during long ripening processing, are positively contributing to human health.