Identification of antihypertensive bioactive peptides in the herby and white cheeses produced from different milk types

The primary objective of this study was to identify bioactive peptides with ACE inhibitor activity in Van herby cheeses and white cheeses made from various milk types. The types of milk used to produce ripened white and Van herby cheeses were cow, sheep, and goat milk. All types of milk were pasteurized, and the starter culture (the mixing of Lc. lactis subsp. cremoris and Lc. lactis subsp. lactis) was added. In all the cheeses, samples were taken for dry matter, pH, and protein analysis on the 0th, 90th, and 180th days of ripening. Fragments were identified using the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method, which were derived from casein hydrolysis, as well as other cheese peptides and proteins. An ACE inhibitor effect was observed in the range of 8.79%-11.54% in the tested cheese samples after 180th day of ripening. The bioactive peptides were identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In the cheese samples, nine ACE inhibitor peptides originating from casein were detected using LC-MS/MS. Observations indicated that cheeses ripened for longer durations had an increased number of bioactive peptides, demonstrating potential positive impacts on human health and suggesting their possible use in functional foods or dietary supplements.