Research progress in the preparation and structure-activity relationship of bioactive peptides derived from aquatic foods

Background Aquatic foods, also known as blue foods, contain a wide range of unique bioactive substances. Among these substances, aquatic foods-derived bioactive peptides exhibit diverse structures and activities, including blood pressure reduction, antibacterial effects, uric acid level reduction, and antioxidant effects. As a result, these peptides show considerable potential for application in functional foods. Scope and approach Existing reviews on aquatic foods-derived bioactive peptides have focused primarily on their functional activities and preparation methods, while neglecting the latest trends in rapid discovery and large-scale production of peptides. Therefore, in addition to summarizing the most recent preparation methods of aquatic foods-derived bioactive peptides, this paper also examines the structure-activity relationships and strategies for large-scale production of active peptides. Key findings and conclusions The use of bioinformatics techniques, such as docking and data mining, can significantly expedite the process of discovering and purifying of aquatic foods-derived bioactive peptides. Furthermore, the precise design and optimization of peptides based on their structure-activity relationships can effectively enhance their activity. Heterologous biosynthesis via the modification of host and target peptides holds promise for enabling large-scale production of these peptides. These methods represent the future direction of research on aquatic foods-derived bioactive peptides.