"Bioactive peptides in craft beers: influence of beer style on bioactive peptide profile and predicted functional...

Craft beer production has expanded notably in recent years, attracting increasing scientific interest due to its distinct brewing practices and nutritional potential. Unlike industrial beers, craft beers are often produced in smaller volumes without additives, filtration, or pasteurization, and their formulations frequently include diverse raw materials that can influence the nutritional profile. Particular attention has been given to bioactive peptides (BPs), short amino acid chains released from cereal and yeast proteins, which may exert antioxidant, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, studies specifically characterizing the peptide composition of beers remain scarce. This study aimed to characterize and compare the peptide profiles of three representative craft beer styles - Pilsner, IPA, and Witbier - by applying ultrafiltration and LC-MS/MS. The results revealed that peptide composition was highly dependent on beer style, and Witbier exhibited the greatest diversity and abundance of peptides, likely associated with the different cereals in its formulation. Barley was the main protein source, followed by wheat and yeast and both shared and unique peptides were identified across the styles. In silico prediction suggested multiple potential biological activities, highlighting antioxidant activity and peptidase inhibition (ACE, DPP-IV, DPP-III, and neprilysin inhibitors). Notably, Witbier presented the highest number of potentially bioactive peptides, followed by IPA and Pilsner. These findings provided novel insights into the functional properties of craft beers, suggesting that the recipe may play a more significant role in shaping peptide profiles than fermentation type or yeast strain. These results significantly expanded current knowledge on bioactive components in beer.