Trends and applications of food protein-origin hydrolysates and bioactive peptides

It was reported that protein hydrolysates or derived peptides have more functionalities than their parent protein. Most functional protein hydrolysates or peptides are identified from various food products, including plant, fish, and land-animal protein sources. Within a few decades, the application of food protein-origin functional hydrolysates or peptides could be divided into two main categories according to their applied intentions: 1) preservatives and bioactive packing materials; 2) nutraceutical ingredients. According to the literature, the applications of food protein-origin functional hydrolysates or peptides on food preservative and nutraceutical ingredients have attracted much attention. However, the approach method should be changed. Multi-activities, compound formulation, comprehensive evaluation, and the added value of by-products are possible strategies. Although there have been great results and findings in the functionalities of food protein-origin bioactive hydrolysates or peptides, there is still a big gap between the lab-scale results and practical applications. Via this narrative review on the current research, scientists, the food/health industry, and government authorities should cooperate to dig into the new material sources and the possible practical application.