Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme-inhibitory peptides in commercial Wisconsin Cheddar cheeses of different ages.

Bioactive peptides, including angiotensin-I-converting enzyme-inhibitory (ACEI) peptides, were investigated in commercially produced Wisconsin Cheddar cheeses that ranged in age from ≤ 6d to more than 2 yr. The ACEI activity of cheese was determined in water-soluble extracts (WSE) that were fractionated for components with molecular weight (MW) ≤ 3,000 Da, and peptides identified using HPLC and tandem mass spectrometry. The number of types of bioactive peptides increased with an increase in ripening time. Six of the identified ACEI peptides, Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP), Val-Pro-Pro (VPP), Glu-Lys-Asp-Glu-Arg-Phe (EKDERF), Val-Arg-Tyr-Leu (VRYL), Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro-Ile-Pro-Asn (YPFPGPIPN), and Phe-Phe-Val-Ala-Pro (FFVAP), with known high ACEI activity (low IC50 values, the concentration needed to inhibit ACE to 50% of its original activity) were synthesized and used to quantify the amounts of these peptides in various cheese extracts. The concentrations of these 6 ACEI peptides increased up to a certain stage of ripening. The maximum contents of IPP, VPP, and EKDERF were 2.8, 7.4, and 5.3mg/100 g of cheese, respectively, and these levels were found in a 1-yr-old Cheddar cheese sample. The maximum content of VRYL (7.5mg/100 g of cheese) was found in a 2-yr-old Cheddar cheese sample, whereas the maximum content of YPFPGPIPN (6.8 mg/100 g of cheese) was found in a 6-mo-old Cheddar cheese sample. Trace amounts of FFVAP were found in these cheeses. Aged Cheddar cheese was found to be a rich source of ACEI peptides even though large differences exist between cheeses from different manufacturers.