Effects of Peptides Derived From Fermented Milk on Blood Pressure Regulation System in Healthy Volunteers.

Several milk proteins are precursors of peptides, released during fermentation, which possess various biochemical and physiological properties. Among them, some peptides have been reported to inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in vitro (an enzyme implicated in blood pressure regulation) and to lower blood pressure (BP). in hypertensive rats and in a small sample of patients with hypertension. One possible mechanism for the BP lowering effect is inhibition of ACE. Prior investigating BP lowering effect of these peptides in a large cohort of hypertensive patients, it is necessary to assess in depth their potency to inhibit ACE in vivo in humans and to compare it to that induced by a well-known ACE inhibitor.