Ingestion of an ample amount of meat substitute based upon a lysine-enriched, plant-based protein blend stimulates postprandial muscle protein synthesis to a similar extent as an isonitrogenous amount of chicken in healthy, young men

Plant-based proteins are considered to be less effective in their capacity to stimulate muscle protein synthesis when compared with animal-based protein sources, likely due to differences in amino acid contents. We compared the postprandial muscle protein synthetic response following the ingestion of a lysine-enriched plant-based protein product with an isonitrogenous amount of chicken. Twenty-four men (age: 24±5 y; BMI: 22.9±2.6 kg·m−2) participated in this parallel, double-blind, randomised controlled trial and consumed 40 g protein as a lysine-enriched wheat and chickpea protein product (Plant, n=12) or chicken breast fillet (Chicken, n=12). Primed, continuous intravenous L-[ring-13C6]-phenylalanine infusions were applied while repeated blood and muscle samples were collected over a 5h postprandial period to assess plasma amino acid responses, muscle protein synthesis rates, and muscle anabolic signalling responses. Postprandial plasma leucine and essential amino acid concentrations were higher following Chicken (P<0.001), while plasma lysine concentrations were higher throughout in Plant (P<0.001). Total plasma amino acid concentrations did not differ between interventions (P=0.181). Ingestion of both Plant and Chicken increased muscle protein synthesis rates from post-absorptive: 0.031±0.011 and 0.031±0.013 to postprandial: 0.046±0.010 and 0.055±0.015%∙h−1, respectively (P-time<0.001), with no differences between Plant and Chicken (P-interaction=0.068). Ingestion of 40 g protein in the form of a lysine-enriched plant-based protein product increases muscle protein synthesis rates to a similar extent as an isonitrogenous amount of chicken in healthy, young men. Plant-based protein products sold as meat replacers may be as effective as animal-based protein sources to stimulate postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy, young individuals.

Long-Term Carbohydrate-Containing Late-Evening Snack Significantly Improves the Ratio of Branched Chain Amino Acids to Aromatic Amino Acids in Adults with Liver Cirrhosis due to Hepatitis B

Background. The liver is the primary organ for amino acid metabolism, and metabolic disorder of amino acids is common in liver disease. However, the characteristics of plasma amino acid profiles in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis and the impacts of late-evening snack (LES) on cirrhosis are unclear. Objectives. To investigate the characteristics of plasma amino acid profiles in patients with HBV-related chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and the effects of late-evening snacks on plasma amino acid profiles. Methods. 86 patients with HBV-related cirrhosis and eighty patients with chronic hepatitis B were included in this study. The plasma amino acid profiles were measured by the amino acid analyzer. Patients were randomly divided into two groups, of which the liver cirrhosis group was to receive daily LES ( n = 43 ) or non-LES ( n = 43 ) for 6 months. Plasma amino acid profiles and biochemical parameters were measured in both groups at baseline and after 1, 3, and 6 months. Results. Compared to healthy controls, the plasma concentration in the liver cirrhosis group of threonine, serine, glycine, glutamine, cysteine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, arginine, and methionine increased significantly ( P < 0.05 ), while the ratio of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) to aromatic amino acids (AAA) decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ). A carbohydrate-predominant LES treatment resulted in a significant increase in BCAA/AAA and decrease in the level of ammonia and glutamine compared with baseline after 6 months of supplementation ( P < 0.05 ). Patients with Child-Pugh B and C are more responsive to changes in amino acid profiles than those with Child-Pugh A. Conclusions. The application of an LES carbohydrate module for six months in liver cirrhosis patients was associated with increased BCAA/AAA and decreased level of ammonia. Patients with Child-Pugh B and C grades were the most beneficial population.

Amino acid-enriched plant-based RUTF treatment was not inferior to peanut-milk RUTF treatment in restoring plasma amino acid levels among patients with oedematous or non-oedematous malnutrition

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) with adequate quality protein is used to treat children with oedematous and non-oedematous severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The plasma amino acid (AA) profile reflects the protein nutritional status; hence, its assessment during SAM treatment is useful in evaluating AA delivery from RUTFs. The objective was to evaluate the plasma AAs during the treatment of oedematous and non-oedematous SAM in community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM) using amino acid-enriched plant-based RUTFs with 10% milk (MSMS-RUTF) or without milk (FSMS-RUTF) compared to peanut milk RUTF (PM-RUTF). Plasma AA was measured in a non-blinded, 3-arm, parallel-group, simple randomized controlled trial conducted in Malawi. The RUTFs used for SAM were FSMS-RUTF, MSMS-RUTF or PM-RUTF. A non-inferiority hypothesis was tested to compare plasma AA levels from patients treated with FSMS-RUTF or MSMS-RUTF with those from patients treated with PM-RUTF at discharge. For both types of SAM, FSMS-RUTF and MSMS-RUTF treatments were non-inferior to the PM-RUTF treatment in restoration of the EAA and cystine except that for FSMS-RUTF, methionine and tryptophan partially satisfied the non-inferiority criteria in the oedematous group. Amino-acid-enriched milk-free plant-source-protein RUTF has the potential to restore all the EAA, but it is possible that enrichment with amino acids may require more methionine and tryptophan for oedematous children.