Marine Animals Are an Untapped Source of Blood Pressure-Lowering Peptides for Food and Drugs | Research

The takeaway

Marine invertebrates contain peptides with demonstrated anti-hypertensive properties (primarily ACE inhibition), but the field needs more clinical research and standardized methods to translate these into pharmaceuticals and functional foods.

Many species unexamined
Marine invertebrates contain anti-hypertensive peptides but most species haven't been studied for therapeutic potential

What the researchers found

Marine invertebrates contain peptides with documented ACE-inhibitory and anti-hypertensive activity, but translation to human therapeutics requires more clinical studies and standardized assessment methods.

Why it matters

Marine environments contain vast biodiversity with therapeutic potential. Identifying anti-hypertensive peptides from sustainable marine sources could provide natural alternatives to synthetic blood pressure medications with fewer side effects.

The numbers in context

Review covers peptides from various marine organisms; multiple mechanisms of anti-hypertensive action discussed.

How the study worked

Comprehensive review of anti-hypertensive peptides from marine invertebrate phyla, covering extraction methods, assessment techniques, in vitro and in vivo evidence.

Who was studied

Review of marine-derived anti-hypertensive peptides across species

What this study cannot tell us

Review highlights that most evidence is in vitro or animal-based. Diverse assessment methods complicate cross-study comparison. Many marine species remain unstudied. Sustainability of marine sourcing is a concern. Bioavailability of marine peptides after oral intake is uncertain.

How to read the evidence

Preliminary to moderate evidence — abundant in vitro and animal data but very limited human clinical evidence. Translation to therapeutics is early-stage.

When this study was published

Published in 2024. Reflects the current state of marine pharmaceutical peptide research.

The bigger picture

The ocean represents perhaps the largest untapped pharmacy on Earth. Marine-derived peptides for hypertension are just one example of how marine biodiversity could address major health challenges — if the science can catch up to the potential.

Questions still open

Which marine peptides are most promising for clinical development as anti-hypertensive agents?
Can marine peptides be sustainably produced at scale through aquaculture or synthetic biology?
How does the bioavailability of marine peptides compare to food-derived terrestrial peptides?

Common questions

Could seafood peptides lower blood pressure?

Research suggests yes — peptides extracted from marine animals like mussels, jellyfish, and sea cucumbers can inhibit ACE (the same enzyme targeted by blood pressure drugs like lisinopril). However, most evidence is from lab and animal studies. We don't yet know if eating marine foods delivers enough of these peptides to meaningfully lower blood pressure.

Why look to the ocean for blood pressure drugs?

Marine organisms have evolved unique peptides over millions of years. Some of these peptides can lower blood pressure through natural mechanisms with potentially fewer side effects than synthetic drugs. The ocean's vast biodiversity means there are likely many more therapeutic peptides waiting to be discovered.

Read the original research

Marine-Derived Peptides with Anti-Hypertensive Properties: Prospects for Pharmaceuticals, Supplements, and Functional Food.

Marine drugs, 22(4)

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Walquist, Mari Johannessen; Eilertsen, Karl-Erik; Elvevoll, Edel Oddny; Jensen, Ida-Johanne. (2024). Marine-Derived Peptides with Anti-Hypertensive Properties: Prospects for Pharmaceuticals, Supplements, and Functional Food.. Marine drugs, 22(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/md22040140