Bioactive peptides from marine processing waste and shellfish: A review

Marine organisms such as fish and shellfish are rich sources of structurally diverse bioactive nitrogenous components. Based on emerging evidence of potential health benefits, these components show significant promise as functional food ingredients. Activities including antihypertensive, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-coagulant, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, immunostimulatory, calcium-binding, hypocholesteremic and appetite suppression have been reported. Fish and shellfish waste components contain significant levels of high quality protein (10–23% (w/w)) which represents a source for biofunctional peptide mining. This review summarises the protein-derived bioactive peptides identified in marine processing waste, molluscs and crustaceans. Moreover, it highlights the potential of proteins derived from these marine organisms as substrates for the generation of biofunctional peptides. It outlines current technologies used in the production, fractionation and purification of marine protein-derived peptides and lists some commercially available products containing marine derived bioactive protein hydrolysates and peptides. Finally, bioactive proteins, non-protein peptides and amino acids found in fish and shellfish are briefly discussed.