Pulsed electric field treatment nearly doubled the yield of bioactive peptides from salmon by-products, producing peptides with antioxidant and blood pressure-lowering properties.
Peptide yield nearly doubledPEF treatment increased bioactive peptide yield from salmon by-products from 10.6% to 18.7%, while also improving the antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory properties of the peptides produced.
What the researchers found
Pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment at 15 and 20 kV/cm significantly improved enzymatic hydrolysis of salmon by-product proteins. When both the enzyme (flavourzyme) and the salmon protein were treated with PEF, the degree of hydrolysis increased from 9.6% to 16.6% and peptide yield increased from 10.6% to 18.7% — nearly doubling output.
PEF treatment modified the protein's tertiary structure by decreasing surface hydrophobicity and intrinsic fluorescence, making the protein more accessible to enzymatic cleavage. The treatment also shifted the molecular weight distribution of the resulting peptides, increasing the proportion of smaller peptides (3 and 5 kDa). Optimal antioxidant and anti-ACE activities were achieved at 50 Hz and 15 kV/cm.
Why it matters
Millions of tons of fish processing by-products are discarded or underutilized annually. Converting this waste into valuable bioactive peptides addresses both sustainability and health — reducing environmental impact while producing compounds with antioxidant and blood pressure-lowering potential. PEF technology could make this process commercially viable by dramatically improving yields without using chemicals or extreme heat.
How the study worked
Salmon by-product proteins (SPI) were subjected to pulsed electric field treatment at various intensities (15 and 20 kV/cm) and frequencies, either treating the protein alone, the enzyme (flavourzyme) alone, or both together. Protein structural changes were characterized by surface hydrophobicity and intrinsic fluorescence measurements. The treated proteins were then enzymatically hydrolyzed, and the resulting peptides were analyzed for degree of hydrolysis, peptide yield, molecular weight distribution, antioxidant activity, and ACE inhibitory activity.
What this study cannot tell us
This is a food technology study — all testing was performed in vitro. The antioxidant and ACE-inhibiting activities were measured in lab assays and may not translate directly to health benefits in humans. The bioavailability of these peptides after oral consumption was not studied. Only one enzyme (flavourzyme) and one protein source (salmon) were tested, so results may not generalize to other substrates.
How to read the evidence
This is a food technology and in vitro study. While the methodology is sound and results are clear for the processing outcomes, no biological or clinical data supports health claims. The evidence is strong for the food processing approach but preliminary for health applications.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, this is a very recent study reflecting current advances in pulsed electric field technology applied to bioactive peptide production.
The bigger picture
Bioactive peptides from food sources are a rapidly growing segment of the nutraceutical market. Fish-derived peptides, in particular, have shown promise for cardiovascular health. This study demonstrates how emerging food processing technologies like PEF can be combined with traditional enzymatic methods to make bioactive peptide production more efficient and scalable — an important step toward commercializing food-derived peptide products.
Questions still open
- Would the bioactive peptides produced by this method survive digestion and retain their ACE-inhibitory and antioxidant properties when consumed orally?
- Could PEF-assisted hydrolysis be applied to other fish processing waste streams or other protein sources?
- What is the economic feasibility of scaling up PEF treatment for commercial bioactive peptide production?
Common questions
What are pulsed electric fields and how do they help produce bioactive peptides?
Could salmon waste become a source of blood pressure-lowering supplements?
Read the original research
Obtaining bioactive peptides by enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of salmon by-product proteins through pulsed electric fields (PEF).
Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.), 208, 116103
Citation
Herrera-Lavados, Carolina; Tabilo-Munizaga, Gipsy; Carvajal-Mena, Nailín; Jara-Quijada, Erick; Martínez-Oyanedel, José; Pérez-Won, Mario. (2025). Obtaining bioactive peptides by enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of salmon by-product proteins through pulsed electric fields (PEF).. Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.), 208, 116103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2025.116103