The structure–activity relationship of marine peptides: a review

• Published in: International journal of food science & technology Vol. 59; no. 7; pp. 4437 - 4445
• Main Authors: Ashaolu, Tolulope Joshua, Pham, Bang Phuong, Molnár, Zoltán, Varga, László, Greff, Babett
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.07.2024
• Subjects: Amino acids; Antihypertensives; Biodiversity; Biological activities; Earth surface; Hydrophobicity; Immunomodulation; Inflammation; marine kingdoms; Marine organisms; Mollusks; Oceans; Peptides; Shellfish; Structure-function relationships; structure–function
• ISSN: 0950-5423; 1365-2621
• DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.17248

Summary Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth's surface and provide home to structurally diverse marine organisms. These creatures contribute to more than half of the biodiversity of the world and produce several bioactive molecules, including peptides. In the past years, scientific research has been focused on the compositions, sequences and structural features of marine‐derived peptides. Based on their amino acid sequences, they have demonstrated a wide range of biological functions, including antithrombotic, antihypertensive, anticancer, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiageing, anti‐inflammatory, immunomodulatory and other multifunctional activities that are based on their structure, hydrophobicity, binding affinity, charge and other factors. This review focuses on novel techniques used to produce marine peptides and explores the structure–function relationships of these peptides derived from representative phyla, namely Cnidaria, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Chordata, Echinodermata and Porifera. Furthermore, notable considerations regarding the structure–function basis of marine peptide applications are discussed. Proteins from different marine organisms can be extracted and digested using various methods. The right novel pre‐treatments and hydrolytic means coupled with separation and purification techniques can enhance the biofunctional attributes of the derived peptides. These are linked to the relationships between the structure and activity of peptides, dovetailing with their application in the food and healthcare industries.