Dietary Allowance of Methyl Donor Nutrients to Minimize Risks of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Progression

April 12, 2026 updated by: Rwei-Fen Syu Huang, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital

Dietary Allowance of Methyl Donor Nutrients to Minimize Risks of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Progression: Novel Diagnostic and Therapeutic Markers in Metabolomics of Gut Microbiome/Host Methyl Nutrition and the Working Mechanisms

Investigate the methyl donors requirement of NAFLD patients to correct the malnutrition, lipid-toxicity, microbiota dysfunction, and metabolomics biomarkers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Folate/choline/betaine, service as a methyl-donor nutrients, are essential nutrients involving in hepatic one-carbon and bioenergetic metabolism. Methyl-donor nutrients deficiency cause liver and muscle dysfunction as result of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) and its progressive lesions of steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrinogen cirrhosis and hepatoma. As methyl-donor nutrients intakes in Taiwanese population are highly insufficient, the dietary requirement of methyl-donor nutrients upon genetic, epigenetic and microbiota interaction to prevent or/and co-therapy of NAFLD progression is currently not known. In this study, we investigate whether intervention of methyl-donor nutrients improve or retard NAFLD progress. NAFLD patients are randomly divided into three groups and received placebo, folic acid, or choline, respectively. From first day to ten day, interventions are given double recommended daily intake dose of folic acid or double adequate Intakes dose of choline, then continuing with four times, and eight times dose for every 10 days. All supplements solve in cranberry juice. At the end of every ten days intervention prior, interventions are measurement of weight and body fat, and collection of blood and feces. The primary outcome measures are described to decreased body weight or body fat, improvement of liver function and fatty liver, and increasing methyl-donor nutrients levels.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
51

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • New Taipei City, Taiwan, 242
        • Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

20 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • NAFLD/NASH patients
  • Folate levels in plasma < 6 ng/mL or choline levels in plasma < 5 micromol per liter
  • Folate intake < estimated average requirement or choline intake < 50% adequate Intakes
  • Homocysteine levels in plasma > 9 micromol per liter

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Asymptomatic carrier of hepatitis B and C
  • Liver disease except NAFLD
  • Taking drugs that causes fatty liver
  • Inflammation about stomach or intestines
  • Pregnancy
  • Cancer except liver cancer
  • Heart disease, vascular disease, or psychosis
  • Intake alcohol over 100 g or unaccessible intake alcohol

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
No Intervention: Placebo
Interventions are not received any treatments.
Experimental: Intervention
Interventions are received folic acid or choline
Dietary supplement: Folic acid, choline chloride
In this study, we divide intervention group into two groups which received folic acid (FA) or choline chloride (CC) supplement. Each subgroups contain 20 subjects, including 10 men and women. According to Recommended Daily Nutrient Allowance, FA recommended intake is 400 ug / day and choline recommended intake in men and women is 450 and 390 mg / day. From phase 1 to phase 3 stage, for every 10 days, subjects are given 2-fold, 4-fold and 8-fold recommended intake dose of FA or CC. All supplement solve in 240 ml cranberry juice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Liver fat proportion
Time Frame: One month
To estimate hepatic fat content, interventions are detected fat content in liver by using MRI or abdominal ultrasound. We assume changing liver fat proportion after finishing intervention.
One month
Improvement liver dysfunction progress
Time Frame: One month
To estimate liver dysfunction, we detect biochemical markers in plasma, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and glutamyl transpeptidase. After finishing intervention, we assume improving liver function.
One month
Body fat percentage
Time Frame: One month
Body fat percentage are measured by using electronic body fat meter. Body fat percentage change after intervention.
One month
Plasma methyl nutrients levels
Time Frame: One month
Folate and choline concentration in plasma are detected to refer methyl nutrients levels. Methyl nutrients levels change after finishing intervention.
One month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change microbiota
Time Frame: One month
After intervention change microbiota to improve NAFLD
One month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Yu-Shun Lin, Ph.D, Fu Jen Catholic University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 25, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 31, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 10, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 21, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 22, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 12, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • C108076

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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