Handbook of Meat Processing

430 Chapter 24

Hammes et al. 2003 ; Toldr á 2004 ). ACE -

inhibitory and antihypertensive activities

were generated from porcine skeletal muscle

proteins by lactic acid bacteria (Arihara et al.

2004 ). Since small peptides have been identi-

fi ed in dry - cured ham (Sentandreu et al.

2003 ), some such peptides generated from

meat proteins could have bioactivities. Also,

Sentandreu and Toldr á ( 2007a , b ) suggested

that the proteolytic action of porcine muscle

dipeptidyl peptidases during the ripening

period of dry - cured ham could contribute to

the generation of ACE inhibitory peptides.

The most common procedure for produc-

ing bioactive peptides on an industrial scale

is enzymatic treatment. Various commer-

cially available proteases have been utilized

for the production of peptides from food pro-

teins (Pihlanto and Korhonen 2003 ). Also,

many bioactive peptides have been

experimen tally prepared by using commer-

cial pro teases (Korhonen and Pihlanto 2003,

2007 ). Proteolytic enzymes have been used

for meat tenderization in the meat industry

(Dransfi eld and Etherington 1981 ). Although

peptides having bioactivities might be gener-

ated in meat treated with enzymatic tender-

ization, efforts have not been directed to such

studies. Since effects of commercial prote-

ases on meat protein breakdown and sensory

properties of fermented sausages have been

demonstrated (Bruna et al. 2000 ), such treat-

ment could be used for developing functional

meat products containing bioactive peptides.

Meat protein hydrolyzates (peptides) could

also be food ingredients, as they have bioac-

tivities for functional foods.

Meat Protein - Derived

Bioactive Peptides

Although many bioactive peptides have

been isolated from various food proteins as

described above, information on meat -

derived peptides is still limited. As for other

food proteins, ACE - inhibitory peptides have

been studied most extensively among the

inhibitory activity from pork proteins
(Arihara et al. 2001 ). Also, ACE inhibitory
activity was generated from meat proteins
(myosin, actin, tropomyosin, and troponin)
by pancreatic protease treatment (Katayama
et al. 2003a ).
Since meat contains various muscle
endogenous proteases, meat proteins are
hydrolyzed by these enzymes during aging
(Etherington 1984 ; Koohmaraie 1994 ; Toldr á
2007 ). Thus, the content of amino acids and
peptides increases in aged meat (Nishimura
et al. 1988 ; Mikami et al 1995 ). Although
enzymatic hydrolysis of meat proteins during
aging results in improvement in sensory
properties, there has been no report about the
generation of bioactive peptides in meat
during aging or storage. Studies would be
expected to reveal the novel meaning of meat
aging for improving its bioactivities.
Meat proteins are hydrolyzed during the
fermentation and ripening of dry sausages.
Both endogenous muscle and microbial pro-
teolytic enzymes are involved in fermenta-
tion of meat products and contribute to the
development of sensory properties of fer-
mented meat products (Hierro et al. 1999 ;

• Gastrointestinal Digestion


• Aging of Meats


• Fermentation of Meats


• Protease Treatment

MEAT PROTEINS

PEPTIDES

• Antihypertensive


• Antioxidative


• Prebiotic, etc.

Proteolysis

Bioactivities

Figure 24.5. Generation of bioactive peptides from
meat proteins.