Functional Food-Derived Peptides as Multitarget Antidiabetic Agents: in Silico and Biochemical Aspects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11603/bmbr.2706-6290.2026.3.16588Keywords:
type 2 diabetes mellitus, nutraceuticals, dietary proteins, bioactive peptides, enzymatic hydrolysis, molecular docking, molecular targets, functional foodsAbstract
This article summarizes current data on the application of in silico approaches, particularly molecular docking, for the screening of dietary bioactive peptides of animal origin with potential hypoglycemic properties, and evaluates the prospects of their utilization in the development of functional anti-diabetic products. It was found that dietary animal-derived bioactive peptides represent promising antidiabetic agents owing to their multitarget mechanisms of action (inhibition of key enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism, including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) and α-glucosidases; regulation of insulin-related signaling pathways, enhancing of peripheral tissue sensitivity to insulin, reducing postprandial hyperglycemia, and exhibition of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities). Camel, bovine, and caprine milk remain the most extensively studied sources of dietary peptides with confirmed inhibitory activity against DPP-4 and α-glucosidase, while the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value serves as a universal criterion for comparing peptide inhibitory potency, thereby ensuring a standardized approach to their evaluation. At the same time, the efficiency of peptide formation and their biological properties largely depend on the type of protein substrate, its amino acid composition, and the method of enzymatic hydrolysis or fermentation.
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