Biological molecules in nutraceuticals and functional foods have proven physiological properties to treat human chronic diseases. These molecules contribute to applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries by preventing food spoilage and cellular injury. Technological advancement in the screening and characterization of bioactive peptides has enabled scientists to understand the associated molecules. Consistent collaboration among nutritionists, pharmacists, food scientists, and bioengineers to find new bioactive compounds with higher therapeutic potential against nutrition-related diseases highlights the potential of the bioactive peptides for food and pharmaceutic industries. Among the popular dietary supplements, marine animals have always been considered imperative due to their rich nutritional values and byproduct use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The bioactive peptides isolated from marine animals are well-known for their higher bioactivities against human diseases. The physiological properties of fish-based hydrolyzed proteins and peptides have been claimed through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical trials. However, systematic study on the physiological and clinical significance of these bioactive peptides is scarce. In this review, we not only discuss the physiological and clinical significance of antioxidant and anticancer peptides derived from marine animals, but we also compare their biological activities through existing in vitro and in vivo studies.

Fish muscle and byproducts represent a valuable source of bioactive compounds, with their protein hydrolysates exhibiting noteworthy antioxidant properties. This study assessed the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates derived from the muscle and byproducts of redlip mullet (Chelon haematocheilus), utilizing different proteases (Neutrase, Alcalase, and Protamex). Hydrolysates were prepared from various parts of the fish, including muscle (white and red meat) and byproducts (frames, head, viscera, fins, skin, and scales). The enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in the highest degree of hydrolysis, achieving 83.24 ± 1.45% for skin at 60 min and 82.14 ± 4.35% for head at 30 min, when treated with Neutrase. Frames treated with Neutrase exhibited the highest protein concentration, measured at 1873.01 ± 71.11 µg/mL at 15 min. Significantly, skin hydrolysates treated with Protamex showed the highest DPPH• scavenging activity (70.07 ± 3.99% at 120 min), while those treated with Alcalase demonstrated the highest ABTS• scavenging activity (93.47 ± 0.02% at 15 min). The highest superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (92.01 ± 1.47%) was observed in head hydrolysates treated with Protamex after 90 min. These results suggest that C. haematocheilus protein hydrolysates possess significant antioxidant activity within a short time frame of less than 120 min.