Bioactive Peptides: From Discovery and Characterization to Production, Therapeutic Applications, and Mechanistic Elucidation
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editors
Interests: food
Interests: bioactive peptides; foodomics; mass spectrometry-based proteomics; machine learning; structural geometry optimization; molecular docking; molecular dynamic simulation; application of synthetic biology and biologicaly systems applied to mechanism elucidation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to invite researchers to contribute to the Special Issue titled "Bioactive Peptides: From Discovery and Characterization to Production, Therapeutic Applications, and Mechanistic Elucidation." This collection will focus on cutting-edge research at the intersection of bioactive peptides, including endogenous peptides and their action mechanisms, peptides derived from protein digestion (in vitro), bioinformatics, mass spectrometry, computational chemistry, enzymology, and synthetic biology. As the scientific community continues to uncover new bioactive peptides and their roles in human health, this Special Issue aims to advance our understanding of their biological functions and potential applications in health.
The growing body of knowledge in these fields holds profound implications for enhancing our understanding of biological systems, developing novel therapeutic strategies, and designing functional foods with health-promoting properties. We encourage contributions that explore a wide range of topics related to bioactive peptides, including their discovery, production, enzymatic processing, therapeutic applications, and the computational techniques used to elucidate their structure, molecular targets, and mechanisms of action.
This Special Issue seeks to highlight interdisciplinary research and innovations that bridge fundamental science with practical applications, offering a platform for researchers to share their insights and drive forward the transformative potential of bioactive peptides in both medicine and nutrition.
We look forward to receiving submissions that will contribute to the expanding field of bioactive peptides and their diverse applications, particularly in the following areas:
- Bioactive peptides: discovery, mechanisms and applications in health and disease;
- Foodomics: comprehensive analysis of protein derived bioactive peptides in food systems;
- Mass spectrometry-based proteomics: advancements in quantitative and qualitative profiling of peptides into complex biological samples;
- Machine learning in bioinformatics: leveraging algorithms for predictive modeling in omics data;
- Structural geometry optimization of novel compounds: computational approaches for drug design and molecular innovation;
- Molecular docking: insights into ligand–receptor interactions and drug discovery;
- Molecular dynamics simulations: investigating protein–ligand interactions and biomolecular stability;
- Synthetic biology: synthesis of peptides for mechanistic insights and therapeutic development;
- Biological systems: mechanism elucidation of endogenous peptides in complex organisms;
- Enzymology: mechanisms of peptide and protein cleavage, activation, and inhibition by proteolytic enzymes.
Prof. Dr. Taliana Bezerra
Dr. José Thalles Lacerda
Dr. Luiz Juliano
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- bioactive peptides
- mass spectrometry
- machine learning
- molecular dynamics simulation
- synthetic biology
- enzymology
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