Determinants of amino acid bioavailability from ingested protein in relation to gut health

Claire C. Gaudichon (1) , Juliane Calvez (1)

1 PNCA (UMR 0914) - Physiologie de la Nutrition et du Comportement Alimentaire

Purpose of review The current review provides an update on the recent research developments regarding amino acid bioavailability in conditions of both good health and gut disorders. Recent findings Determination of amino acid bioavailability is complex and invasive. Minimally invasive methods using stable isotopes have been developed for humans. Data were collected in different models-humans, pigs and rats with various procedures-leading to interstudy variability. They mainly focused on either plant protein or the effect of food processing on animal protein. Plant protein in their original food matrix (legumes, grains, nuts) are generally less digestible (about 80%) than animal protein (meat, egg, milk; about 93%). Food processing has a limited impact on animal protein but its effect might be higher on plant protein. Few studies have documented the effect of gut disorders on protein digestibility, except in gastric bypass where paradoxical effects were reported. Data are needed to identify the amplitude of protein malabsorption in diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or environmental enteric dysfunction.

Keywords: plant and animal proteins; humans; digestibility; animal models; stable isotopes; plant and animal proteins

Domains: Food and Nutrition

Claire C. Gaudichon, Juliane Calvez. Determinants of amino acid bioavailability from ingested protein in relation to gut health. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 2020, 24 (1), pp.55 - 61. ⟨10.1097/mco.0000000000000708⟩. ⟨hal-03094749⟩