Hypocholesterolaemic effects of lupin protein and pea protein/fibre combinations in moderately hypercholesterolaemic individuals

Abstract

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of plant proteins (lupin protein or pea protein) and their combinations with soluble fibres (oat fibre or apple pectin) on plasma total and LDL-cholesterol levels. A randomised, double-blind, parallel group design was followed: after a 4-week run-in period, participants were randomised into seven treatment groups, each consisting of twenty-five participants. Each group consumed two bars containing specific protein/fibre combinations: the reference group consumed casein þ cellulose; the second and third groups consumed bars containing lupin or pea proteins þ cellulose; the fourth and fifth groups consumed bars containing casein and oat fibre or apple pectin; the sixth group and seventh group received bars containing combinations of pea protein and oat fibre or apple pectin, respectively. Bars containing lupin protein þ cellulose (2 116 mg/l, 24·2 %), casein þ apple pectin (2 152 mg/l, 25·3 %), pea protein þ oat fibre (2 135 mg/l, 2 4·7 %) or pea protein þ apple pectin (2 168 mg/l, 2 6·4 %) resulted in significant reductions of total cholesterol levels (P, 0·05), whereas no cholesterol changes were observed in the subjects consuming the bars containing casein þ cellulose, casein þ oat fibre or pea protein þ cellulose. The present study shows the hypocholesterolaemic activity and potential clinical benefits of consuming lupin protein or combinations of pea protein and a soluble fibre, such as oat fibre or apple pectin.

Effects of the Replacement of Soybean Meal with Pea as Dietary Protein Source on the Serum Protein Fractions of Broilers

“…The alpha-1 globulin fraction include (α 1 -antitrypsin,α 1 -acid glycoprotein, α 1 -lipoprotein (Apolipoprotein A), α 1 -fetoprotein (AFP), transcortine, protein connecting thyroxine, glycoprotein) (Turgut, 2000;Mehmetoglu, 2002;SPEP). Pea proteins markedly reduces blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rats (Martins et al, 2004;Rigamonti et al, 2010;Sirtori et al, 2012). Dietary pea has a lowering effect on the blood lipid concentrations of rats (Spielmann et al, 2008).…”

Grain legume decline and potential recovery in European agriculture: a review

“…Increased consumption of grain legumes as well as consumption of targeted functional foods and dietary supplements (or nutraceuticals) based on legumes could help in realizing their positive health effects (Sirtori et al 2009). Soybean and lupin proteins have the potential to reduce blood cholesterol and thus protect from hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis (Harland and Haffner 2008;Marchesi et al 2008;Sirtori et al 2012). In addition, lupin proteins are considered to have an antidiabetic effect (Bertoglio et al 2011).…”

The health benefits of sweet lupin seed flours and isolated proteins

“…In all these studies, the tested material was the lupin protein isolate NL-LUP. In two cases, this material was included in dietary bars and the control bars contained casein (C. R. Sirtori, Triolo, Bosisio, Bondioli, Calabresi, De Vergori, et al, 2012;Weisse, Brandsch, Zernsdorf, Nkengfack Nembongwe, Hofmann, Eder, et al, 2010). In the fist study on subjects with a very moderate hypercholesterolaemia (Weisse, et al, 2010), the lupin treatment significantly decreased the lipid parameters compared to the baseline values (total cholesterol and LDL-C changes -0.50 mmol/L and -0.31 mmol/L, respectively), but similar improvements were observed also in the control group (total cholesterol and LDL-C changes -0.47 mmol/L and -0.15 mmol/L, respectively).…”

“…In the fist study on subjects with a very moderate hypercholesterolaemia (Weisse, et al, 2010), the lupin treatment significantly decreased the lipid parameters compared to the baseline values (total cholesterol and LDL-C changes -0.50 mmol/L and -0.31 mmol/L, respectively), but similar improvements were observed also in the control group (total cholesterol and LDL-C changes -0.47 mmol/L and -0.15 mmol/L, respectively). In the second study on hypercholesterolaemic subjects, which was aimed at investigating the effects of combinations of plant proteins and fibres (C. R. Sirtori, et al, 2012), the lupin bar gave a significant decrease of total cholesterol (-0.30 mmol/L) versus the control, whereas no changes were observed in the group fed the control bar (casein). LDL-C was, instead, essentially unchanged in both groups.…”

“…In particular, human studies indicate that either the fibre R. S. Hall, Johnson, Baxter, & Ball, 2005) or the protein (M. Bähr, Fechner, Kiehntopf, & Jahreis, 2014;C. R. Sirtori, et al, 2012) are hypocholesterolemic components.…”