Research progress in food protein-derived antihypertensive peptides

Bioactive peptides (BAPs) , derived through enzymatic hydrolysis of food proteins, have demonstrated potential for application as health-promoting agents against numerous human health and disease conditions, especially regulation of blood pressure (BP) .The feasibility of pharmacological application of these peptides depends on absorption and bioavailability in intact forms in target tissues, which in turn depends on structure of the peptides.In this article, the literature on antihypertensive peptides and functional food were reviewed, with emphasis on BP-lowering activity, molecular mechanisms of BP-lowering, influencing factors, and the methods of production and purification, etc.The future research efforts on BAPs should be directed toward evaluation of health-promoting effects in vivo, bioavailability and pharmacokinetics inhuman subjects.