Chibuike C. Udenigwe, S. R. C. K. Rajendran
Apr 1, 2016
Citations
0
Influential Citations
15
Citations
Journal
Current opinion in food science
Abstract
For over a century, plastein has remained mostly cryptic with inconclusive proof of their formation mechanisms. Although initial interest in the nutritional application of plastein decreased by the mid-1980s, the last decade has seen a reemergence of plastein as bioactive agents. It is thought that sequence variations due to protease-induced peptide modification during plastein formation are associated with the enhancement of bioactivities such as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition (antihypertensive), calcium-chelating (anticoagulation), antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. Moreover, the clustering of hydrophobic residues during peptide aggregation has enabled exploration of plastein as peptide debittering agents, and as a bile acid sequestrant with potential endogenous cholesterol-reducing role. This article presents plastein from different perspectives with emphasis on their chemistry, bioactivity and prospective functional food applications.