Functional Peptides from Yak Milk Casein: Biological Activities and Structural Characteristics.

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Food Science
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Yak milk contains approximately 40.2 g/L of casein.
• Casein peptides are generated through enzymatic digestion or food processing.
• These peptides exhibit various beneficial bioactivities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe yak milk protein characteristics.
• To detail the functional activities and mechanisms of casein degradation peptides.
• To explore the relationship between peptide structure and bioactivity.

Main Methods:

• In vitro activity tests
• Cellular experiments
• Proteomics
• Bioinformatics

Main Results:

• Yak milk casein peptides possess a wide range of functional activities, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, and immunomodulatory effects.
• Peptide functional activities are closely related to structural characteristics like molecular weight, length, amino acid sequence, and hydrophobicity.
• Enzyme type and other structural factors influence peptide activity.

Conclusions:

• Yak milk casein degradation peptides show significant potential as functional active peptide resources.
• These peptides may serve as auxiliary treatments for various diseases.
• Understanding structure-activity relationships is key for high-value utilization.