Antioxidative peptides derived from plants for human nutrition: their production, mechanisms and applications

Proteins, their hydrolysates and peptides are produced from animal and plant sources with demonstrated bioactivities. Plants contribute more than half of the required human energy globally, thereby attracting more research and exploitation for the general well-being and reduction of oxidative stress. The protein components of plants became positive contributors to human health, using choice enzymatic method in order to release bioactive peptides. This review summarises the occurrence and mechanisms of plant antioxidative peptides for human nutrition and their applications. In addition, the need for food antioxidants and insights into some challenges associated with the use of antioxidative peptides were also provided. About 200 articles were analysed, of which ninety-seven most relevant articles were selected for this study. It is proposed that further safety and human studies will validate commercialization of antioxidative peptides for functional foods and human nutrition. Graphic abstract