Multifunctional Peptidome Characterization of Ladakh Himalayan Hard Cheese With Comparative Insights From Sikkim.

Traditional fermented products of the Indian Himalayas are gaining attention due to their health benefits. Ladakh hard chhurpi (LHC) collected from different altitudes (2784-4523 m) was assessed for antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities. The activity of LHC generally increased upon GI digestion. Peptidome analysis of GI-digested LHCs revealed varying peptide profiles and the presence of bioactive and multifunctional peptides. Comparative peptidome analysis of Ladakh (Western Himalaya) and Sikkim (Eastern Himalaya) cheese revealed 5 common peptides. Amino acid composition analysis revealed proline and leucine to be the most abundant in Ladakh and Sikkim cheese, respectively. The MPO and ACE inhibitory potential of several novel peptides were predicted. VYPFPGPI demonstrated high MPO binding affinity. GGVSLPE was predicted to have the best ACE inhibition potential. In vitro activity assessment revealed VYPFPGPI as a more potent ACE inhibitor (IC50 of 215.5 ± 7.87 μM), while GGVSLPE showed higher MPO inhibitory activity (IC50 of 0.84 ± 0.05 mM) between the two peptides. This is the first report on the LHC peptidome profile and comparative peptidome analysis of the hard cheese of Ladakh and Sikkim. The present study proposes bioactive peptides-enriched LHCs as a functional food of Ladakh with nutraceutical potential.