Bioactive Proteins and Peptides from Macroalgae, Fish, Shellfish and Marine Processing Waste

Macroalgal, fish and shellfish proteins represent a vast resource for the mining of novel biofunctional peptides with specific or multifunctional activity. Enzymatic hydrolysis of macroalgal, fish and shellfish processing waste proteins with proteolytic preparations from plant, animal or microbial sources has the capability to release an array of peptides with potential biofunctional properties in a highly controlled environment. A growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that many marine-derived protein hydrolysates and peptides, including macroalgal, fish and shellfish processing waste byproducts, may play a role in the prevention and management of certain chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, cancer and obesity-related chronic conditions, and thus can be used as functional food ingredients. Finally, marketing of bioactive health-promoting functional ingredients requires scientific validation before a health claim can be made with European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU) approval.