Evaluation of angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitory activity in abalone viscera fermented by Lactobacillus casei 001

Abstract

Abalone viscera are typically discarded in the food industry. This study evaluated the potential use of abalone viscera as a functional food. After fermentation by lactic acid bacteria, namely Lactobacillus casei 001, abalone viscera exhibited the ability to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and suppressed blood pressure increases in healthy mice and spontaneously hypertensive rats. Purification and characterization of extracts derived from fermented abalone viscera showed that the active component was homarine, which exhibited strong, noncompetitive ACE-inhibitory capacity. Altogether, these findings suggest that abalone viscera fermented by lactic acid bacteria hold potential as functional food materials to manage blood pressure.

Keywords

• Abalone viscera
• Blood pressure
• Fermentation
• Lactic acid bacteria