Enzymatically hydrolysed asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) hard‐stem exhibits the ability to inhibit angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE)

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) hard‐stem, woody bottom of the asparagus stalk, is a rich source of bioactive compounds and is discarded as an eco‐friendly agricultural waste. Therefore, we intended to explore the antioxidant, amino acid composition, and antihypertensive potentials of enzymatically hydrolysed asparagus hard‐stem. The treated samples exhibited higher total free amino acids (11437 mg 100 g−1), total phenolics (1749 mg 100 g−1), and ability to inhibit (78.38%) angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) compared to control (ACE inhibition of 46.88%). Hydrophobic amino acids (39%) and gallic acid (48%) were the highly eluted bioactive compounds. The ability to inhibit ACE had been positively correlated with hydrophobic amino acids (r = 0.959–0.987) and gallic acid (r = 0.966), indicating the role of amino acids and phenolics in controlling ACE reactions. Thus, asparagus hard‐stem can be a potential source to develop natural health supplements for the management of hypertension and related health risks. Enzymatically hydrolysed asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) hard‐stem exhibits the ability to inhibit angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) and thus can be used as a promising natural alternative for development of novel functional supplements rich in health‐promoting compounds for controlling elevated blood pressure and related health risks.