Bioactive peptides in aquaculture: a peptidomics approach to food security

Aquaculture represents the fast-growing sector within the domain of food production and is acknowledged as a critical component in addressing global food security. The role of feed additives and nutraceuticals is considerably appraised to sustain growth while reducing dependence on antibiotics. Among these, bioactive peptides have garnered considerable interest on account of their multifaceted applications in enhancing growth, preventing disease, alleviating stress, and enhancing product quality. The term peptidomics entails the large-scale appraisal of endogenous and exogenous peptides using advanced analytical approaches and facilitates the identification and characterization of novel bioactive peptides derived from aquatic animals, fisheries by-products, insects, and plants. The current review presents the recent advances in peptidomics-driven identification of bioactive peptides and furnishes an in-depth understanding of their functional relevance in aquaculture nutrition, health management, and sustainability. Empirical evidence reflects that dietary inclusion of peptide-based ingredients across various aquaculture species enhances growth performance, immune response, oxidative stress mitigation, and disease resistance. Additionally, the current review furnishes the integration of peptidomics with functional evaluation and application perspectives and establishes a conceptual framework that bridges molecular-level detections to practical outcomes in aquaculture and food security.