Patent Application
20170079311
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Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and composition for improving the amino acid absorption by oral ingestion of plant derived protein sources. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of additives including digestive proteases to plant protein sources to increase absorption following oral ingestion.
Description of the Related Art
The ISSN recommends that exercising individuals consume between 1.4-2.0 g/kg/day of protein before, during, and after exercise sessions to improve adaptations to exercise training and to maintain or increase muscle mass (Campbell et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2007, 4:8). The growth of muscle and its control are important factors not only in athletes or healthy humans but also in disease and disease management, human growth and development. To fuel the muscle after workout, or any kind of exercise, athletes and recreational sports people have different choices of protein sources; animal protein (e.g. whey, casein, egg, beef, fish) or plant protein (e.g. soy, rice, pea, hemp) sources, which differ in numerous ways such as protein content, digestion rate (fast, intermediate, or slow absorption of amino acids), or the relative amount of individual amino acids as well as other ingredients like fats, carbohydrates, including sugars and/or fibers.
The biological importance of protein digestion is widely known and described. In healthy humans a patented blend of digestive proteases (Aminogen®), a patented blend of digestive proteases from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae, increased the absorption rate of processed whey protein concentrate over controls (Oben et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008, 5:10.).
A further study has indicated that plant protein sources like rice protein isolate compared to whey protein isolate (fast) and casein (slow) is an intermediate digesting protein (Jager et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013; 10(Suppl 1): P12.). The protein digestibility differs between protein sources with animal proteins (whey protein concentrate 100%, casein 99%) generally being better absorbed than plant proteins (soy protein isolate 95% (Gilani et al., Nutr. J 2003, 133(1):220-225), pea 93.5% (Eggum et al., Plant Foods Hum Nutr 1989, 39:13-21) or rice protein isolate 87% (Morita et al., J Food Sci 1993, 58:1393-1396).
Another study has shown that the total amino acid plasma concentration was increased to a similar extent 20 min after healthy subjects consumed pea and whey peptide hydrolysates. In contrast, the administration of a milk solution resulted in a slower rise in total amino acid plasma concentration (Calbet et al., J Nutr. 2002 August; 132(8):2174-82.). After the whole postprandial period of 180 min the whey peptide hydrolysate solution had the greatest increase in total amino acid plasma concentration compared to pea peptide hydrolysate and milk solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,422A describes a method of using an enzyme food supplement composition to convert, in the gastrointestinal system of a human being, ingested dietary protein into free amino acids and short chain peptides by using a combination of at least one acid protease fungal enzyme and at least one semi-alkaline protease fungal enzyme (Handel et al.).
US20130156884A1 describes the use of food supplement comprising one fungal or bacterial protease enzyme, which exhibits increased proteolytic activity producing increased protein digestion rate and absorption in the presence of pepsin (Anderson). This method of increasing protein absorption in the gastrointestinal system of a human being comprises the step of ingesting the food supplement in combination with protein.
Nutritional analysis of whey protein hydrolysates, casein, and pea and rice protein isolate shows a max. 18% content of carbohydrates in these protein sources, with lower concentrations of carbohydrates in animal sources, and higher amounts in plant proteins (Table 1). While dairy protein sources contain simple sugars, mainly lactose, plant protein surprisingly contain more complex carbohydrates, including fibers.
Adding a blend of digestive proteases seems to overcome possible inhibition of endogenous digestive enzymes and reduced transit time in the intestine to improve the overall absorption rate of processed whey protein concentrate.
While digestibility of animal protein sources like whey protein is considered to be superior compared to plant protein sources like rice, pea, hemp or others and their combinations there is clearly a necessity to improve the digestibility of plant protein sources.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and composition to improve the amino acid absorption after oral ingestion of plant derived protein sources.
Disclosed is a method of oral administration of compositions having plant derived protein and an effective amount of a complex of enzymes sufficient to affect the digestibility rate and relative amount of individual amino acids of plant protein sources in a mammal. A combination of enzymes with the orally ingested plan protein improves absorption into the bloodstream along the gastro-intestinal tract. A complex of proteases and carbohydrases that may include an alpha-galactosidase and/or a complex of enzymes, improves and enhances protein digestion rates and the relative amount of individual amino acids from plant protein sources in individuals, compared to the oral use of only adding digestive proteases.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of adding at least one digestive carbohydrase in combination with proteases to plant protein sources, thereby increasing the digestion and absorption rates and relative amounts of individual amino acids of plant protein sources in a mammal, compared to adding only proteases to plant protein sources. Without being bound by theory, the inventors believe that the addition of a carbohydrase increases the accessibility of body-own and added proteases to the plant protein source, thereby increasing the digestion of the protein and the subsequent absorption of individual amino acids and peptides.
The present application discloses a suitable composition derived from complex of enzymes combining digestive proteases and at least one digestive carbohydrase, preferably a combination of protease 6.0, protease 4.5, peptidase, bromelain and alpha-galactosidase, including maltodextrin as inactive filling material, at least 0.2%, more preferably 0.3-0.5% to 99.8-99.5% plant protein sources of rice, pea, hemp and other plant protein sources and/or mixes thereof. This composition of complex of enzymes is comprised of at least with an enzyme activity for protease 6.0 of 4,000 HUT, more preferably 5,000-6,000 HUT, for protease 4.5 of 7,000 HUT, more preferably 8,000-9,000 HUT, for peptidase of 1,500 HUT, more preferably 2,000-3,000 HUT, for bromelain of 150,000 FCCPU, more preferably 200,000-300,000 FCCPU, and at least for alpha-galactosidase of 200 GalU, more preferably 250-300 GalU. Filling components include maltodextrin or microcrystalline cellulose or other appropriate filling material. These components neither increase nor interfere with the enzymes activity.
Enzyme complexes can be mixed with the plant protein sources and incorporated in the manufacture of foods, drugs, and dietary supplements of complex formulations and various dosage forms including capsules, tablets, caplets, lozenges, liquids, solid foods, powders and other dosage forms that may be developed, without the need to impart enteric protection to the entire mixture, any other part of the mixture, or finished products. Any suitable method of delivery and/or administration of the proprietary enzymes complex in combination with the plant protein sources are considered within the scope of this invention, including for example and not by way of limitation, tablet, capsule, powder, granule, pellet, soft gel, hard gel, controlled release form, liquid, solution, elixir, syrup, suspension, emulsion, gel, lotion, and the like.
Compositions of the present invention may also be administered in nutraceutical or functional foods. In addition the effective amount of the proprietary enzymes complex may be combined with amino acids, botanicals, functional foods, herbals, nucleotides, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, proteins, and/or vitamins in an effort to enhance the targeted activity.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practices and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Disclosed is a method of increasing absorption through the gastro-intestinal tract of amino acids upon oral ingestion of a plant-based protein source by the addition of one or more carbohydrases to the plant-based protein source prior to ingestion. This may be incorporated into other known methods of increasing amino acid absorption, such as for example the addition of proteases to the protein source.
To investigate the amino acid rate of appearance in the blood in a study with one individual male subject (22 years old, bodyweight 78 kg, and height of 177 cm) received randomly after a 12 hour overnight fast either 48 grams of rice protein isolate (Growing Naturals Rice Protein Isolate made with Oryzatein® rice protein, Axiom Foods, Oro Valley, Ariz.)=PP, or the same 48 g rice protein isolate with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain (National Enzyme Company, NEC Blend, Forsythe, Mo.)=PP+NEC, or 48 g rice protein isolate with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain, plus alpha-Galactosidase (National Enzyme Company, Forsythe, Mo.)=PP+NEC+AG in a double-blind, crossover design, separated by a washout phase of 7 days. Blood draws were taken immediately prior to, and at 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes following consumption and analyzed for leucine and isoleucine content. The results are shown in
While the addition of NEC increase plasma concentrations of leucine and isoleucine, the addition of AG to NEC showed a significant increase of amino acid absorption over plant protein alone, and plant protein plus NEC.
To investigate the amino acid rate of appearance in the blood in a pilot study with one individual male subject (22 years old, bodyweight 78 kg, and height of 177 cm) received randomly after a 12 hour overnight fast either 48 g whey protein concentrate (Milk Specialties Group Whey Protein Concentrate, Eden Prairie, Minn.=WPI), or 48 grams of rice protein isolate (Growing Naturals Rice Protein Isolate made with Oryzatein® rice protein, Axiom Foods, Oro Valley, Ariz.) with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain (National Enzyme Company, NEC Blend, Forsythe, Mo.)=PP+NEC, or 48 g of the same rice protein isolate with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain, plus alpha-Galactosidase (National Enzyme Company, Forsythe, Mo.)=PP+NEC+AG in a double-blind, crossover design, separated by a washout phase of 7 days. Blood draws were taken immediately prior to, and at 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes following consumption. The absorptions as a function of time are shown in
To investigate the amino acid rate of appearance in the blood in a study with eleven male athletes (21.4±1.5 years, 177.3±6.1 cm height, 82.5±3.9 kg weight, 2.3±1.9 years training status) received randomly after a 12 hour overnight fast either 48 g whey protein concentrate (Milk Specialties Group Whey Protein Concentrate, Eden Prairie, Minn.), or the same 48 g whey protein concentrate with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain (National Enzyme Company, Forsythe, Mo.), or 48 grams of rice protein isolate (Growing Naturals Rice Protein Isolate made with Oryzatein® rice protein, Axiom Foods, Oro Valley, Ariz.), or 48 g of the same rice protein isolate with a digestive blend, consisting of Protease 6.0, Protease 4.5, Peptidase and Bromelain, plus alpha-Galactodidase (National Enzyme Company, Forsythe, Mo.) in a double-blind, crossover design, separated by a washout phase of 7 days. Blood draws were taken immediately prior to, and at 30, 60, 120, 180 and 240 minutes following consumption.
The subjects were divided into four groups, each receiving a different blend. Group 1=whey protein concentrate; Group 2=rice/pea protein; Group 3=whey protein plus NEC; Group 4=rice/pea protein plus NEC plus AG.
Whey protein=60 g of powder=49 g of protein. The term “rice” in the charts and graphs refers to a rice/pea blend (60 g of powder consisting of pea protein isolate (42 g) (Vegotein 80) and Rice concentrate (18 g) Oryzatein 80)=44.4 g of total protein. Results are not normalized for protein content.
Combined BCAA Analysis:
Combined All AA Analysis:
Combined NEAA Analysis
Combined EAA
The method disclosed herein provides for different rates of absorption for individual amino acids. Specifically as shown below:
Arginine:
These results are shown in
Glutamine:
These results are shown in
Citrulline:
These results are shown in
Serine:
These results are shown in
Asparagine:
These results are shown in
Glycine:
These results are shown in
Threonine:
These results are shown in
Alanine:
These results are shown in
Ornithine:
These results are shown in
Methionine:
These results are shown in
Proline:
These results are shown in
Lysine:
These results are shown in
Aspartic Acid:
These results are shown in
Histidine:
These results are shown in
Valine:
These results are shown in
Glutamic Acid:
These results are shown in
Tryptophan:
These results are shown in
Leucine:
These results are shown in
Phenylalanine:
These results are shown in
Isoleucine:
These results are shown in
Cystine:
These results are shown in
Tyrosine:
These results are shown in
The examples all show an increase in absorption of amino acids when AG is included in the digestive blend. AG is a typical carbohydrase and its activity if indicative of other carbohydrases.
Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications, apart from those shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention. Descriptions of the embodiments shown in the drawings should not be construed as limiting or defining the ordinary and plain meanings of the terms of the claims unless such is explicitly indicated.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/051,839 filed on Sep. 17, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.
