Gastrointestinal fate of proteins from commercial plant-based meat analogs: Silent passage through the stomach, oxidative stress in intestine, and gut dysbiosis in Wistar rats.

ABSTRACT: Plant-based meat analogs (PBMAs) are common ultra-processed foods (UPFs) included in the vegan/vegetarian diets as presumed healthy alternatives to meat and meat products. However, such health claims need to be supported by scientific evidence. To gain further insight into this topic, two commercial UPFs typically sold as meat analogs, namely, seitan (S) and tofu (T), were included in a cereal-based chow and provided to Wistar rats for 10 weeks. A group of animals had, simultaneously, an isocaloric and isoprotein experimental diet formulated with cooked beef (B). In all cases, experimental chows (∼4 kcal/g feed) had their basal protein concentration increased from 14% to 30% using proteins from S, T, or B. Upon slaughter, in vivo protein digestibility was assessed, and the entire gastroint

SUBMITTER: Sanchez-Terron G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11673440 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature