An open label study to determine the effects of an oral proteolytic enzyme system on whey protein concentrate metabolism in healthy males

Abstract

Background: Current research suggests that protein intake of 1.5 -2.8 g/kg/day (3.5 times the current recommended daily allowance) is effective and safe for individuals trying to increase or maintain lean muscle mass. To achieve these levels of daily protein consumption, supplementing the diet with processed whey protein concentrate (WPC) in liquid form has become a popular choice for many people. Some products have a suggested serving size as high as 50 g of protein. However, due to possible inhibition of endogenous digestive enzymes from over-processing and rapid small intestine transit time, the average amount of liquid WPC that is absorbed may be only 15 g. The combined effect of these factors may contribute to incomplete digestion, thereby limiting the absorption rate of protein before it reaches the ceacum and is eliminated as waste. The purpose of this study was to determine if Aminogen ® , a patented blend of digestive proteases from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae, would significantly increase the in-vivo absorption rate of processed WPC over control values. It also investigated if any increase would be sufficient to significantly alter nitrogen (N2) balance and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels over control values as further evidence of increased WPC absorption rate.Methods: Two groups of healthy male subjects were assigned a specified balanced diet before and after each of two legs of the study. Subjects served as their own controls. In the first leg each control group (CG) was dosed with 50 g of WPC following an overnight fast. Nine days later each test group (TG) was dosed following an overnight fast with 50 g of WPC containing either 2.5 g (A2.5) or 5 g (A5) of Aminogen ® . Blood samples were collected during each leg at 0 hr, 0.5 hr, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, 3.5 hr and 4 hr for amino acid (AA) and CRP analyses. The following 18 AAs were quantified: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine. Urine was collected for 24 hours from 0 hr for total N2 analysis. Results are expressed as means ± SEM. All significance and power testing on results was done at a level of alpha = 0.05. Area under the concentration time curve (AUC) was calculated using the trapezoidal rule. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-1) was done between CGs, between TGs and between time points. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA-1-RM) was done to compare CGs and

A Double-Blind Clinical Study to Investigate the Effects of a Fungal Protease Enzyme System on Metabolic, Hepato-renal, and Cardiovascular Parameters Following 30 Days of Supplementation in Active, Healthy Men

“…The addition of Aminogen® to whey protein resulted in no adverse events and did not cause any measurable negative changes in various markers of clinical health. These, as well as previous results [4], support the safety and potential benefits of ingesting Aminogen® with an appropriate substrate such as whey protein. They also indicate further research regarding the combination of Aminogen® with protein-based foods and beverages is warranted.…”

“…It may be speculated that the proteases in Aminogen® may interact with whey protein to produce a greater cholesterol-lowering effect than whey protein alone, possibly through the production of bioactive peptides. Oben [4] reported significant decreases in C-reactive protein in a test group after an acute consumption of 5% and 10% Aminogen® blended with whey protein. Additionally, unpublished in vitro data have shown that Aminogen® hydrolyzes whey, soy, and casein proteins to produce peptides that inhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme, a mechanistic finding which may help to explain the divergent responses to diastolic blood pressure.…”

“…Recent clinical research has shown that Aminogen®, a patented oral fungal protease blend, maintains activity after oral dosing. Acute dosing of Aminogen® with whey protein concentrate was effective for increasing the rate of protein absorption [4]. Forty healthy males were divided into two groups and received either 50 g whey protein concentrate (80% protein) or 50 g of whey protein concentrate with Aminogen®.…”

How Much and What Type of Protein Should a Critically Ill Patient Receive?

“…Excessive amounts of protein may be poorly tolerated, and digestion and absorption may be overwhelmed. For example, Oben and colleagues 16 reported that the concomitant use of digestive proteases improved amino acid absorption significantly in healthy individuals after a single dose of 15 g whey protein concentrate, implying that there is a limit in the capacity of healthy individuals to digest and absorb higher protein loads.…”

The Effect of ProHydrolase® on the Amino Acid and Intramuscular Anabolic Signaling Response to Resistance Exercise in Trained Males

“…One possible approach to augment plasma amino acid availability involves the usage of dietary protease enzymes [31]. Like the process of creating a hydrolysate, protease enzymes catalyze the breakdown of protein molecules into smaller peptides and amino acids for digestion and absorption.…”