Development of Functional Soybean-Enriched Cheese: Identification of Novel Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-Inhibitory...

This study investigated the peptidomic profiles and bioactivity potential of hybrid cheeses fortified with soybean beverage (0%, 13%, 26%, and 39%) and co-fermented with Lactobacillus helveticus or Lactobacillus acidophilus over a 45-day ripening period. Peptidomic profiling identified 102 peptide sequences, comprising 74 milk-derived and 28 soybean-derived peptides. Several soybean-derived peptides, including DQMPRRF, NANSIIYAL, and QSKPNTIL, were identified for the first time in a cheese matrix. The highest angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory (ACE-I) activity was observed in the 39% soybean beverage cheese fermented with L. helveticus, suggesting that this strain promoted the release of bioactive peptide sequences from the hybrid dairy-soy protein matrix. In silico docking analyses further indicated that selected soybean-derived peptides, together with casein-derived sequences such as FFVAPFPEVFGK, may interact favorably with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) binding regions. These predicted interactions provide supportive structural evidence for the functional potential of the identified peptides, while not serving as direct confirmation of biological activity. Overall, this study highlights the potential of combining plant and dairy proteins with proteolytic starter cultures as a sustainable strategy for developing value-added hybrid cheeses with potential relevance to dietary approaches targeting hypertension and type 2 diabetes.