Structural and biological properties of protein hydrolysates from seafood by-products: A review focused on fishery effluents

Abstract

Enormous amounts of by-products and waste are generated during the processing of seafood, sometimes representing about 65% of the raw material employed. Seafood by-products (SB) include solid waste such as skin, head, viscera, trimmings, and bones; however, liquid wastes (effluents) derived from operations such as washing, thawing, cooking and the production of fishmeal are also produced. SB contain considerable amounts of protein and others biomolecules, which has been regularly processed as food ingredients for animal nutrition. But also, sometimes SB are used as fertilizers or discarded to environment without a previous treatment. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in adding value to the protein material within SB by improving their properties through hydrolysis and thus releasing of peptides with bioactive properties. Thus, this review aims to present an overview of the potential of SB, focused on effluents, as a source of protein hydrolysates, summarizing their methods of production, bioactive property evaluation and structural characteristics.