Multitarget Peptides Released by In Vitro Static Gastrointestinal Digestion of an Amaranth Protein Beverage

Beverages formulated from alternative proteins, such as amaranth, are gaining attraction due to changes in human dietary patterns and environmental concerns like resource use and biodiversity loss. This study focuses on assessing the bioactive peptide release from an amaranth protein beverage. This beverage was subjected to a static simulated gastrointestinal digestion (SGD) protocol to evaluate its bioaccessibility and functional potential. The digests were analyzed for in vitro antihypertensive, antioxidant, and antithrombotic activities. Additionally, digested peptide sequences were identified via LC–MS/MS. The results showed that SGD significantly enhanced the release of bioactive peptides, leading to increased ACE inhibition, antioxidant capacity against ABTS + and AAPH-induced radicals, and antithrombotic effects in clotting assays. LC–MS/MS analysis identified 31 peptides in the digests, ranging from 9 to 21 amino acids, associated with various bioactivities. These findings highlight amaranth proteins potential as a source of functional peptides with health-promoting properties. Further research must be done to isolate and characterize specific peptides for potential therapeutic applications.