Self-Assembled Food Peptides: Recent Advances and Perspectives in Food and Health Applications.

Self-assembling peptides are rapidly gaining attention as novel biomaterials for food and biomedical applications. Peptides self-assemble when triggered by physical or chemical factors due to their versatile physicochemical characteristics. Peptide self-assembly, when combined with the health-promoting bioactivity of peptides, can also result in a plethora of biofunctionalities of the biomaterials. This perspective highlights current developments in the use of food-derived self-assembling peptides as biomaterials, bioactive nutraceuticals, and potential dual functioning bioactive biomaterials. Also discussed are the challenges and opportunities in the use of self-assembling bioactive peptides in designing biocompatible, biostable, and bioavailable multipurpose biomaterials.

Metal-chelating activity of soy and pea protein hydrolysates obtained after different enzymatic treatments from protein isolates.

Soy and pea proteins are two rich sources of essential amino acids. The hydrolysis of these proteins reveals functional and bioactive properties of the produced small peptide mixtures. In our study, we employed the hydrolysis of soy and pea protein isolates with the endopeptidases Alcalase® and Protamex®, used alone or followed by the exopeptidase Flavourzyme®. The sequential enzyme treatments were the most efficient regarding the degree of hydrolysis. Then, soy and pea protein hydrolysates (SPHs and PPHs, respectively) were ultrafiltrated in order to select peptides of molecular weight ≤ 1 kDa. Whatever the protein source or the hydrolysis treatment, the hydrolysates showed similar molecular weight distributions and amino acid compositions. In addition, all the ultrafiltrated hydrolysates possess metal-chelating activities, as determined by UV-spectrophotometry and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). However, the SPR data revealed better chelating affinities in SPHs and PPHs when produced by sequential enzymatic treatment.

Evaluation of the environmental impact of dry chemical silage obtained from the viscera of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) using ecological footprint methodology.

Fish production worldwide has increased over the years due to increased populations and interest from consumers. This has led to an increase in the waste produced by this industry, with viscera being particularly notable as one of the main sources of negative environmental impact. This study will determine the environmental impact created when obtaining dry chemical silage from the viscera of red tilapia (Oreochromis spp.), using ecological footprint methodology as an indicator of sustainability. This process allows approximately 30% of CO2 emissions to be mitigated compared to those generated when fresh viscera are dumped into shallow landfills, while implementing actions that improve the process such as biogas production from waste and solar drying of the final product can mitigate approximately 86% of its environmental impact, when compared to the disposal of fresh viscera. It was concluded that the production of dry chemical silage using alternative drying energy is environmentally sustainable.

Sorption isotherms and thermodynamic properties of the dry silage of red tilapia viscera (Oreochromis spp.) obtained in a direct solar dryer.

The sorption isotherms, thermodynamic properties and calculation for confirming the isokinetic theory of dry chemical silage of red tilapia viscera (Oreochromis spp.) obtained in a direct passive solar dryer were determined. Sorption isotherms were carried out at 15, 25, 35 and 45 °C using a static gravimetric method. The curves obtained were adjusted to eight equations. The isosteric heat of sorption (net and total) and the thermodynamic parameters were determined based on the Clausius-Clapeyron equation and the enthalpy-entropy compensation theory was applied to adsorption isotherms. The sorption isotherms obtained were of type III of Brunauer classification. The Peleg model best described the experimental data. In all cases, the isosteric heat decreased while the moisture content increased. The value of isokinetic temperature (TB) was found to be less than harmonic mean temperature (Thm), the sorption of water in dry chemical silage is therefore controlled by entropic mechanisms and proceeds spontaneously.