Bioactive Peptides: Production Strategies, Biological Activities, and Emerging Therapeutic Applications

Bioactive peptides, short chains of amino acids derived from natural sources like animals, plants, and marine organisms, are increasingly being explored for their roles in nutrition, functional foods, and therapeutic applications. These peptides display a wide spectrum of biological activities, including antihypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and anticancer effects, making them valuable in both disease prevention and treatment. Progress in production techniques such as enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation, chemical synthesis, and recombinant methods has facilitated the targeted development and efficient production of peptides with specific bioactivities. Techniques such as ultrafiltration, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and electrophoresis are essential for the purification and characterization of particular peptides for bioactivities. Despite their significant potential, challenges like purification difficulties, stability issues, and bioavailability constraints diminish their applicability for widespread use. Advancements in nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems, synthetic biology, and bioinformaticsdriven discovery are overcoming these limitations and expanding therapeutic possibilities. Synergistic multidisciplinary research, the sustainable supply of agro-industrial waste, and enhanced delivery methods will augment the efficacy and commercial viability of bioactive peptides. Current research and development in this field have the potential to advance the creation of next-generation foods and medications that effectively improve global health and well-being. This review uniquely integrates current molecular, biotechnological, and informatics-driven perspectives on bioactive peptide research, offering an updated synthesis of 2024-2025 developments in production strategies, bioassay optimization, and therapeutic translation.