Effects of Plant-based Meat Alternatives in Comparison to Chicken Meat on Postprandial Metabolism in Healthy Adults

Acute Effects of Plant-based Meat Alternatives Made From Pea, Wheat or Soy Protein in Comparison to Chicken Meat on Postprandial Metabolism in Healthy Women and Men

The aim of this study is to investigate the postprandial metabolic responses to plant-based meat alternatives made from different protein ingredients (pea, wheat or soy protein) in comparison to chicken in healthy adults. Therefore, young healthy subjects consume 4 test meals with 40 g of protein from pea protein, wheat protein, soy protein or chicken in a randomized order. In a postprandial period of 6 hours, parameters of protein, glucose and lipid metabolism (i.a. plasma amino acids), gastric emptying and hunger/satiety are analysed. It is assumed that the plasma amino acid profile after plant protein ingestion differs depending on protein source and in comparison to chicken protein.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Plasma Amino Acid Appearance and Disappearance; Postprandial Metabolic Events
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Pea protein; Other: Wheat protein; Other: Soy protein; Other: Chicken

Detailed Description

In a randomized crossover-design, 20 healthy women and men consume 4 test meals containing either 40 g of protein from plant-based meat alternatives (pea, wheat and soy protein extrudate) or chicken together with 1 g paracetamol, which is used as a marker for gastric emptying.

During a postprandial period of 6 hours parameters of protein metabolism (e.g. amino acids in plasma and urine), glucose metabolism (e.g. plasma glucose, serum insulin), lipid metabolism (serum triglycerides, total cholesterol , LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, free fatty acids), serum uric acids, hunger- and satiety-associated gastrointestinal hormones (serum ghrelin, plasma GLP-1), and gastric emptying rate (based on plasma paracetamol) are analysed. Furthermore, subjective hunger/satiety and acceptance of the meals are assed using visual analogue scales. Each intervention arm will be separated by a washout period of at least 7 days.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • North-Rhine Westphalia
    • Bonn, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, 53115
      • University of Bonn, Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, Nutritional Physiology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• non-smoking
• metabolically healthy
• normal weight (BMI: 18,5 - 24,9 kg/m2)
• written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• pregnancy, lactation
• hypo- or hypertension
• underweight or overweight/obesity
• food intolerances and allergies (especially soy, pea, wheat/gluten)
• malabsorption syndromes
• gastrointestinal diseases
• thyroid diseases
• diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2
• impaired kidney or liver function
• anaemia
• blood coagulation disorders
• irregular menstrual cycle
• endometriosis, severe menstrual problems
• hormonal contraception
• regular use of medications (especially habitual use of paracetamol or medications that may interact with paracetamol)
• hypersensitivity to paracetamol
• body weight below 50 kg
• alcohol abuse
• glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
• Gilbert's syndrome
• eating disorders (especially anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa)
• smoking
• participation in another study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Pea protein; Participants randomized to receive a meal containing 40 g of protein from pea protein extrudate	Other: Pea protein; Ingestion of a meal containing 40 g of protein from pea protein extrudate
Experimental: Soy protein; Participants randomized to receive a meal containing 40 g of protein from soy protein extrudate	Other: Soy protein; Ingestion of a meal containing 40 g of protein from soy protein extrudate
Active Comparator: Chicken; Participants randomized to receive a meal containing 40 g of protein from chicken meat	Other: Chicken; Ingestion of a meal containing 40 g of protein from chicken
Experimental: Wheat protein; Participants randomized to receive a meal containing 40 g of protein from wheat protein extrudate	Other: Wheat protein; Ingestion of a meal containing 40 g of protein from wheat protein extrudate

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Amino acid profile in blood	Analysis of amino acid profile in plasma (nmol/ml)	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Amino acid profile in urine	Analysis of amino acids in urine (nmol/mL)	Postprandial period of 6 hours
Urea in blood	Analysis of urea (mg/dL) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Nitrogen in blood	Analysis of nitrogen (mg/dL) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Glucose in blood	Analysis of glucose (mmol/L) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Insulin in blood	Analysis of insulin (pmol/L) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
C-peptide in blood	Analysis C-peptide (pg/ml) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 360 minutes)
Glucagon in blood	Analysis of glucagon (pg/ml) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Iron in blood	Analysis of iron (µg/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Zinc in blood	Analysis of zinc (µg/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Selenium in blood	Analysis of selenium (µg/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Copper in blood	Analysis of copper (µg/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Triglycerides in blood	Analysis of triglycerides (mmol/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Total cholesterol in blood	Analysis of total cholesterol (mmol/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
LDL cholesterol in blood	Analysis of LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
HDL cholesterol in blood	Analysis of HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Ghrelin in blood	Analysis of ghrelin (pg/mL) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Hunger/satiety and acceptance of the meals	Assessment of subjective hunger/satiety and acceptance of the meals by validated visual analogue scale questionnaires (paper-pencil)	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 minutes)
Uric acid in blood	Analysis of uric acid (mg/dL) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Calcium in blood	Analysis of calcium (mmol/l) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Free fatty acids in blood	Analysis of free fatty acids (mmol/L) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
Gastric emptying rate	Analysis of gastric emptying rate based on paracetamol kinetics in blood (µg/mL)	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 minutes)
GLP-1 in blood	Analysis of GLP-1 (pg/ml) in blood	Postprandial period of 6 hours (Time points: fasting (0) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180 and 360 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bonn
• Collaborators: German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sarah Egert, Prof PhD, University of Bonn, Institute of Nutritional and Food Sciences, Nutritional Physiology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 31, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 28, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): May 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 20, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 27, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 1, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 15, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 13, 2025
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Postprandial metabolic events
• Other Study ID Numbers: AlProPlant-HS2

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No