Developing an integrated method of preparing bioactive peptides from spent hens for functional food/nutraceutical and cosmetic applications

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Every year, approximate 22.5 million laying hens in the Canadian egg industry become "spent" at the conclusion of their laying cycle that need to be removed from production. Spent hens are of little economic value to the farmers and seen as a by-product or a waste. Disposal of spent hens often is a liability for the producers who have to pay the associated cost of transportation and disposal. Finding new uses to yield residual value is significant to the egg industry. The overarching objective of this project is to develop an integrated method of preparing bioactive peptides from spent hens for functional food/nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. Antihypertensive peptides will be first prepared from spent hen muscle proteins and then the leftover collagenous material will be used for preparing collagen peptides. Efficacy of antihypertensive peptides will be studied in spontaneously hypertensive rats, an experimental model for hypertension with similarities for hypertension in humans. Hypertension afflicts ~22% of Canadian adults and 80% of the Canadian population over the age of 65. Findings from the project will lead to novel antihypertensive peptide products with benefits against hypertension. As the body's largest observable organ, skin's visible appearance plays an important role in human social interactions. Collagen peptides prepared from spent hen with demonstrated activities against oxidative stress and inflammation while enhanced cell proliferation and extracellular matrix synthesis (such as collagen and elastin) may offer novel approaches to improve skin health in cosmetic applications. Developing bioactive peptides from spent hen with beneficial effects on hypertension and skin health will provide the Canadian egg industry with a sustainable alternative to discarding spent hen carcasses. In addition to generating a new revenue source for the egg industry, a profitable section of value-added spent hen processing will also help eliminate environment impact associated with spent hen disposal, and thus enhance the positive image of the egg industry as environmental stewards.