Memory-enhancing food-derived peptides: action and transportability

Food-derived peptides are gaining increasing attention for their brain-beneficial potential in alleviating central nervous system diseases. Although accumulating evidence indicates neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing properties of peptides, the precise mechanisms of action remain insufficiently understood, creating challenges for their screening, identification, and application. A major limitation is the blood–brain barrier (BBB) system, which restricts the bioavailability of peptides to the brain. In this review, current advances on food-derived peptides with brain-beneficial effects are discussed, focusing on their roles in neurotransmitter modulation, neuroprotection, anti-inflammation, anti-amyloid-β activity, and regulation of the gut–brain axis. We also discuss the peptides with brain-beneficial effects that are capable of crossing the BBB, as well as the experimental approaches used to assess their BBB permeability. Understanding both the functional actions and transport mechanisms of food-derived peptides will provide valuable insights for their application as nutraceuticals or therapeutic candidates for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.