There is a great demand for developing efficient extraction methods to reduce the extraction time and increase the yields and activities of functional antioxidants. The yields, physicochemical, functional properties and antioxidant activities of ultrasound-pretreated porcine cerebral hydrolysate peptides (UPCHPs) were studied and compared with traditional enzymolysis (PCHPs). The results showed that UPCHPs had higher peptides concentration, smaller molecular weight, and higher concentration of hydrophilic and late-eluting hydrophobic peptides than PCHPs at hydrolysis time of 20 min. However, the contents of antioxidant amino acids (Gly, Ala, Arg, Pro, His, Val, Leu, Lys and Phe) in both hydrolysate peptides were above 60%. UPCHPs with an excellent solubility had high reducing power activity and scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (72%), 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals (73%) and hydroxyl radicals (56%) at 2 mg/mL. Moreover, UPCHPs showed the moderate iron chelating activity (60%). In general, UPCHPs with good functional properties could serve as a potential antioxidant food ingredients. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.