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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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A Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS) Platform for Investigating Peptide Biosynthetic Enzymes
Published on: May 4, 2020
Suspect screening-based LC-HRMS characterization of short-chain peptide hydrolysates from marine macroalgae
Hind Achahbar1,2, Andrea Cerrato3,4, Enrique Durán-Guerrero1
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Institute for Viticultural and Agri-Food Research (IVAGRO), University of Cádiz, 11510, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Marine macroalgae, including invasive species, are rich sources of short-chain peptides. This study developed a new method to identify these peptides, revealing potential health and flavor benefits.
Area of Science:
- Marine biology
- Proteomics
- Food chemistry
Background:
- Marine macroalgae are recognized for diverse biomolecules.
- Short-chain peptides (2-4 amino acids) in seaweeds are underexplored due to conventional proteomics limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply an untargeted LC-HRMS workflow for characterizing short-chain peptides from marine macroalgae.
- To investigate the peptide profiles of edible and invasive seaweeds from southern Spain.
Main Methods:
- Hydrolysis of 14 marine macroalgae species using Alcalase®.
- Untargeted liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) suspect screening.
- Accurate-mass filtering, manual MS/MS interpretation, and in silico analysis for bioactivity prediction.
Main Results:
- 333 short-chain peptides, mainly dipeptides, were putatively identified.
- Distinct peptide patterns were observed among algal groups; brown algae showed higher hydrophobic dipeptide abundance.
- Invasive brown algae exhibited similar peptide profiles to edible species, suggesting valorization potential.
- In silico analysis predicted antioxidant, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, sensory, and antifungal properties, including umami flavor contributions.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a comprehensive overview of marine macroalgal short peptidomes.
- Untargeted LC-HRMS is effective for characterizing underexplored peptide fractions in marine matrices.
- Marine macroalgae, including invasive types, represent a sustainable source of bioactive and flavor-related short-chain peptides.
