Recent advances in natural peptide-based cryoprotectants in food industry: from source to application

The formation of ice crystals poses a significant challenge to food quality and safety during the food freezing process. Peptide-based cryoprotectants offer an innovative solution for the long-term preservation of frozen foods. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on peptide-based cryoprotectants, encompassing sources, acquisition methods, functional properties, structure-activity relationships, action mechanisms, and applications. Specifically, peptide-based cryoprotectants can be derived from both terrestrial and aquatic organisms. They are usually prepared by using techniques such as solvent extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, chemical synthesis, and heterologous biosynthesis. Moreover, they can specifically adsorb onto the surface of ice crystals, reducing the freezing point and thereby effectively inhibiting the growth of ice crystals. Additionally, their performance can be influenced by structures such as amino acid composition, molecular weight, and peptide sequence. Furthermore, future research directions are proposed, including rapid discovery techniques, efficient large-scale production methods, and safety assessments for peptide-based cryoprotectants. These research initiatives are of significant importance for advancing the broad application of peptide-based cryoprotectants in the food industry.