Iberian dry-cured ham as a potential source of α-glucosidase-inhibitory peptides

Iberian dry-cured ham is a meat product known as a source of different bioactive peptides due to its high protein content and intense hydrolysis during its processing. In this study, the potential of alpha-glucosidase inhibitory peptides generated in Iberian dry-cured ham was evaluated for the first time. After size-exclusion chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography using different stationary phases, the characterization and identification of the peptide sequences contained in the most active fractions was done using MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry and Q-ToF mass spectrometry in tandem. A total of 16 and 47 sequences of peptides were identified in the two most active fractions. On the other hand, the alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of previously identified bioactive peptides in Spanish dry-cured ham such as AEEEYPDL and LGVGG was established, confirming their multifunctionality.