Bioactive milk peptides have potential in the treatment of a number of ailments including cancer and diabetes. In a recent publication, orally administered milk-derived peptides were shown to survive the gastrointestinal tract and exhibit anti-hypertension effects similar to a well-known anti-hypertension drug, captrophil.


Peptides derived from milk can serve as angiotensin I converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors). ACE normally hydrolyzes the vasoconstrictor, angiotensin I, to angiotensin II, and hydrolyzes the vasodilator, bradykinin, to an inactive peptide that upregulates blood pressure. In the study, a lactose fermenting yeast, Kluyvermyces marxianus, was used to release the bioactive peptides from bovine lactoferrin (a component of whey milk).

A total of 6 milk peptides with antihypertensive effects were identified. These peptides were custom synthesized by GenScript and orally administered to mice models. The antihypertensive effect of select bioactive milk peptides were found to be as effective as captrophil.