Prawn peptides are ACE for blood pressure: Rat study

13-May-2012 - Last updated on 14-May-2012 at 12:53 GMT

Peptide extracts from the Arctic prawn Pandalus Borealis have demonstrated blood pressure benefits via the, “most potent Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibiting peptide concentrate that is reported in scientific literature.”

Those results in a small rat study, published in volume 46 of Process Biochemistry in 2011, have prompted a human clinical to be commissioned by the same Norwegian organisation - Nofima.

That hydrolysates-peptides study is due to complete by year’s end.

ACE inhibitors work by inhibiting the conversion of angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor, angiotensin II, thereby improving blood flow and blood pressure.

Nofima senior scientist and lead author of the study, Asbjørn Gildberg, said the ACE results were significant, although not necessarily linked just to the particular type of shrimp-prawn.

“These are the highest seen but hydrolysates from Chinese shrimps have indicated levels almost as good,” he said.“The human trial data will be very interesting.”

Results

The researchers wrote: “The measurements by two independent methods both revealed higher in vitro ACE inhibitory activity, IC₅₀ = 0.075 and 0.035 mg/ml, respectively, than earlier reported in comparable hydrolysates.”

“An introductory feeding trial with spontaneously hypertensive rats indicated positive in vivo results when the rats were given 60 mg hydrolysate/kg body weight per day.

“Although further in vivo studies are necessary to verify the antihypertensive potential, the very high in vitroACE inhibitory activity reveals that the shrimp protein hydrolysate is a promising candidate for nutraceutical application.”

Nofino is a part government, part industry-funded research group. It worked with Norwegian supplier, Marealis, which partly funded the studies.

“We are thrilled to be working with such a prestigious organization like Nofima,” said Jaran Rauø, managing director for Marealis AS.

“If everything goes as expected, we look forward to bringing this new and highly sophisticated marine ingredient to the market so that individuals that risk cardiovascular disease can reap the benefits.”

Source:

Process Biochemistry

Volume 46, 2011

‘Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity in a hydrolysate of proteins from Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and identification of two novel inhibitory tri-peptides’

Authors: Asbjørn Gildberg, Jan Arne Arnesen, Bjørn-Steinar Sæther, Jaran Rauø, Even Stenberg