Lactotripeptides – peptides derived from milk proteins which prevent cardiovascular diseases. They show a great ability to optimise blood pressure.
Lactotripeptides are active as an inhibitor of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) which converts angiotensin I into the active angiotensin II. Angiotensin II causes the contraction of vascular smooth muscle and thus increases significantly blood pressure. It is an element of the RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system), responsible for the regulation of blood flow.
By inhibiting angiotensin activity, lactotripeptides modulate one of the main regulatory mechanisms of this process and thus contribute to a decrease in blood pressure.
What is more, lactotripeptides can be examined in terms of the impact of ACE on the breakdown of bradykinin, a tissue hormone which causes widening of the lumen of blood vessels. The inhibition of the angiotensin-converting enzyme by lactotripeptides helps increase levels of this agent, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of this substance in normalising blood pressure.