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Protein, malnutrition and wasting diseases

Endogenous proteins in the ileal digesta of adult humans given casein-, enzyme-hydrolyzed casein- or crystalline amino-acid-based diets in an acute feeding study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 68, pages 363–369 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

To ascertain if the form of dietary nitrogen (free amino acids (AA), small peptides, or intact protein) affects the endogenous nitrogen containing substances lost from the upper digestive tract of humans.

Subjects/Methods:

Digesta were collected via a naso-ileal tube from the terminal ileum of 16 adult humans in a single parallel study following an acute feeding regimen. Subjects were given an iso-nitrogenous and isocaloric test meal containing 150 g of casein (CAS) (n=6), enzyme-hydrolyzed casein (HCAS) (n=5) or crystalline AA (n=5) dissolved in 550 ml of water, as the sole sources of nitrogen.

Results:

The mean concentrations and flows of total nitrogen, protein nitrogen, and soluble protein nitrogen passing the terminal ileum were significantly higher (P <0.01) for the CAS and HCAS test-meal groups compared to the AA meal group. Dietary CAS and HCAS had a considerable influence on digesta mucin concentrations and flows compared to free AA (+41%). Only 3–4% of the total nitrogen remained unidentified.

Conclusions:

The form of dietary nitrogen (protein, small peptides or free AA) had an acute effect upon the secretion or reabsorption of endogenous proteins in the small intestine of healthy humans, as evident from significant differences in both the quantity and composition of the proteins found in digesta at the end of the ileum.

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Acknowledgements

This original research was funded internally by the Riddet Institute, a national centre of research excellence, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. We wish to express our thanks to Ajinomoto, Kawasaki, Japan who donated the crystalline L-isomer AA used in this study.

Author information

Author notes

  1. M F Fuller: MF Fuller died before this paper was finished. He was an advisor and assisted with the data analysis.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Riddet Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

    W Miner-Williams & P J Moughan

  2. The Unité de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle, L'unité mixte de recherche French Institute of Agricultural Research 1125, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale 557, Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Universite’ Paris 13, Paris, France

    A Deglaire

  3. The Gastroenterology Unit, Le Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine d'Ile-de-France, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, University Paris 13, Hôpital Avicenne, Paris, France

    R Benamouzig

  4. The State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    M F Fuller

  5. French Institute of Agricultural Research, Le Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine- d'Ile-de-France, L’unité mixte de recherche 914 Nutrition Physiology and Ingestive Behavior, Paris, France

    D Tomé

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  1. W Miner-Williams
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to P J Moughan.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Author contributors: WM-W, PJM and AD designed and conducted the research. WM-W conducted the chemical analysis, analyzed the data, wrote the paper and had primary responsibility for the final content. The work in France was supervised by DT and undertaken by AD. Insertion of the naso-ileal tube and clinical monitoring of the subjects while in hospital was undertaken by RB. The work in New Zealand was supervised by PJM and all chemical analysis undertaken by Dr WM-W. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Miner-Williams, W., Deglaire, A., Benamouzig, R. et al. Endogenous proteins in the ileal digesta of adult humans given casein-, enzyme-hydrolyzed casein- or crystalline amino-acid-based diets in an acute feeding study. Eur J Clin Nutr 68, 363–369 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.270

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