ABSTRACT
In order to reach the systemic circulation intact and impart their health-promoting properties in the human body, bioactive peptides must be able to withstand the degradative action of gastrointestinal proteases and the hydrolytic action of acids in the GIT, while maintaining their structural integrity as they traverse the intestinal epithelium. Thus, peptide stability is inseparably linked to bioavailability and bioaccessibility, and is therefore a sine qua non for in vivo bioactivity. In this chapter, we describe the essential role peptide structure plays in peptide stability, the effect of stability to bioavailability and bioaccessibility, the impact of various types of processing including emergent green processing technologies on peptide stability and bioavailability and strategies for preserving stability and thus maintaining or enhancing bioavailability. The chapter ends with recommendations for future studies in this area.
