Antithrombotic effects and underpinning mechanisms of food-derived bioactive peptides: A review

Thrombotic diseases are the primary cause of cardiovascular diseases. Existing clinical drugs are associated with side effects such as bleeding and gastrointestinal damage, making the development of safe alternatives a research hotspot. Food-derived antithrombotic peptides (FDAPs) have become promising candidates due to their strong antithrombotic activity, low immunogenicity, and excellent biocompatibility. This paper systematically reviews the latest research on FDAPs from 2016 to 2025, summarizes and discusses their sources, preparation, separation and purification, and structural identification approaches. Meanwhile, it systematically evaluates the activity evaluation methods, antithrombotic mechanisms, and the structure-activity relationship of FDAPs, clarifying that small molecular weight, RGD characteristic sequence, and cyclic conformation are the keys to their high activity. In addition, this paper discusses the current challenges in the development of FDAPs, including low preparation efficiency and poor bioavailability, and proposes development directions such as process optimization, multi-technology integration, and the establishment of a clinical safety evaluation system, laying a foundation for their in-depth research and industrial application.