Antidiabetic Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Food-Derived Bioactive Peptides

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), characterized by progressive insulin secretion defect based on insulin resistance, is one of the leading public health problems with high morbidity and mortality rates. Uncontrolled hyperglycemia, which becomes a more severe indication with obesity in T2DM patients, increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, and retinal disorder. Effective diabetes treatment is possible with a comprehensive approach that includes controlling blood glucose levels, improving pancreatic β cell functions, and supporting insulin sensitivity through body weight management, nutritional therapy, and drug therapy. At this point, food-derived bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates, which draw attention with their structural similarity to regulatory peptides in human metabolism, have great potential in treating T2DM and regulating glucose metabolism. Various glucoregulatory properties of bioactive peptides come to the fore through antidiabetic mechanisms such as the digestion of carbohydrates, the release of intestinal hormones, insulin function and secretion, glucose uptake, and adipose tissue modification. This review aims to evaluate the roles of food-derived bioactive peptides and protein hydrolysates in controlling glycemia and insulin sensitivity and their antidiabetic mechanisms of action and to examine the difficulties and opportunities related to the acquisition and research processes.