Squid Collagen Peptides Show Blood Pressure-Lowering and Antioxidant Activity

Collagen hydrolysates from jumbo squid muscle showed 82% ACE inhibition and 64% antioxidant activity, demonstrating that seafood waste can be a source of bioactive peptides with cardiovascular potential.

Fimbres-Romero, Manuel de J et al.·Journal of food science and technology·2021·lowin vitro
RPEP-05381In vitrolow2021RETHINKTHC RESEARCH DATABASErethinkthc.com/research

Quick Facts

Study Type
in vitro
Evidence
low
Sample
N=N/A (in vitro)
Participants
In vitro enzymatic hydrolysis of squid muscle collagen

What This Study Found

Sierra fish enzyme-derived squid collagen hydrolysates achieved 82.28% ACE inhibition and 64% ABTS antioxidant activity, with 15.2% of peptides below 3 kDa versus 7.9% from squid enzyme hydrolysates.

Key Numbers

Collagen yield 0.98 g/100g muscle; SFE 15.2% <3 kDa peptides; 82.28% ACE inhibition; 64% ABTS inhibition; SFE 40% higher specific activity

How They Did This

In vitro study. Collagen extracted from jumbo squid arms (yield 0.98 g/100g). Hydrolyzed with crude collagenase extracts from jumbo squid hepatopancreas and sierra fish viscera. ACE inhibition and ABTS radical scavenging measured.

Why This Research Matters

High blood pressure affects over a billion people globally. Bioactive peptides from sustainable seafood waste could provide natural ACE inhibitors as supplements or functional food ingredients, reducing reliance on synthetic drugs.

The Bigger Picture

Marine-derived bioactive peptides are a growing field connecting sustainability with health. Using seafood processing waste to produce cardiovascular health peptides addresses both environmental waste and consumer demand for natural blood pressure management.

What This Study Doesn't Tell Us

In vitro testing only — ACE inhibition in a test tube doesn't guarantee blood pressure effects in the body. Peptides may be degraded during digestion. Specific peptide sequences not identified. No human or animal testing.

Questions This Raises

  • ?Would these collagen peptides survive digestion and maintain ACE-inhibitory activity in vivo?
  • ?Which specific peptide sequences are responsible for the highest ACE inhibition?
  • ?Could these peptides be developed into a standardized supplement for blood pressure management?

Trust & Context

Key Stat:
82% ACE inhibition Squid collagen peptides produced with sierra fish enzymes blocked 82% of ACE activity in vitro, comparable to some pharmaceutical ACE inhibitors
Evidence Grade:
Low evidence grade: in vitro biochemical assays only. No animal or human studies to confirm blood pressure or antioxidant effects in vivo.
Study Age:
Published 2021. Marine bioactive peptide research continues to expand with increasing focus on identifying specific peptide sequences and testing in vivo.
Original Title:
Utilisation of collagenolytic enzymes from sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra) and jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) viscera to generate bioactive collagen hydrolysates from jumbo squid muscle.
Published In:
Journal of food science and technology, 58(7), 2725-2733 (2021)
Database ID:
RPEP-05381

Evidence Hierarchy

Meta-Analysis / Systematic Review
Randomized Controlled Trial
Cohort / Case-Control
Cross-Sectional / ObservationalSnapshot without intervening
This study
Case Report / Animal Study
What do these levels mean? →

Frequently Asked Questions

Can collagen peptides lower blood pressure?

In laboratory tests, peptides from squid collagen blocked 82% of ACE, the same enzyme targeted by blood pressure medications. However, these effects haven't been confirmed in humans yet — the peptides may be broken down during digestion before reaching blood vessels.

Is this the same as collagen supplements I can buy?

Not exactly. Commercial collagen supplements vary widely in their peptide content and processing. This study used specific enzymes to produce peptides with targeted ACE-inhibitory activity, which may differ from general collagen products.

Read More on RethinkPeptides

Cite This Study

RPEP-05381·https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-05381

APA

Fimbres-Romero, Manuel de J; Cabrera-Chávez, Francisco; Ezquerra-Brauer, Josafat M; Márquez-Ríos, Enrique; Suárez-Jiménez, Guadalupe M; Del Toro-Sanchez, Carmen L; Ramírez-Torres, Giovanni Isaí; Torres-Arreola, Wilfrido. (2021). Utilisation of collagenolytic enzymes from sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra) and jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) viscera to generate bioactive collagen hydrolysates from jumbo squid muscle.. Journal of food science and technology, 58(7), 2725-2733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04780-0

MLA

Fimbres-Romero, Manuel de J, et al. "Utilisation of collagenolytic enzymes from sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra) and jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) viscera to generate bioactive collagen hydrolysates from jumbo squid muscle.." Journal of food science and technology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04780-0

RethinkPeptides

RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Utilisation of collagenolytic enzymes from sierra fish (Scom..." RPEP-05381. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/fimbres-romero-2021-utilisation-of-collagenolytic-enzymes

Access the Original Study

Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.

This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.