Unravelling the molecular mechanisms associated with the role of food-derived bioactive peptides in promoting cardiovascular health

Food-derived bioactive peptides (BPs) are nutritionally and functionally important for regulating some physiological functions in the body; however, there is little information on their mechanisms of action. During the past decade, the number of studies in different models (rodents, endothelial cells, monocyte assays, adipocytes) together with the development of novel bioinformatics tools have increased within the context of cardiovascular pathophysiology. This review highlights the molecular mechanisms of these food-derived BPs in the vascular tone, inflammation, oxidative stress and metabolic mechanisms. Understanding the mechanism(s) regulated by food-derived BPs may be critical to understanding the precise role they are able to undertake and represents a potentially fruitful area for further research in the cardiovascular context.