Plant and insect proteins support optimal bone growth and development; Evidences from a pre-clinical model

TL;DR

This study evaluates the effects of various plant and insect proteins on bone growth and gut microbiota in rats, suggesting they support growth similarly to traditional animal proteins, but further health impact research is needed.

Contribution

It provides comparative data on the effects of plant and insect proteins on growth, bone health, and gut microbiota in a pre-clinical rat model, highlighting their potential as alternative protein sources.

Findings

Alternative proteins supported comparable growth to casein.

Chickpea flour reduced gut microbiota diversity.

Bone morphology and strength were similar across diets.

Abstract

By 2050, the global population will exceed 9 billion, demanding a 70% increase in food production. Animal proteins alone may not suffice and contribute to global warming. Alternative proteins such as legumes, algae, and insects are being explored, but their health impacts are largely unknown. For this, three-week-old rats were fed diets containing 20% protein from various sources for six weeks. A casein-based control diet was compared to soy isolate, spirulina powder, chickpea isolate, chickpea flour, and fly larvae powder. Except for spirulina, alternative protein groups showed comparable growth patterns to the casein group. Morphological and mechanical tests of femur bones matched growth patterns. Caecal 16S analysis highlighted the impact on gut microbiota diversity. Chickpea flour showed significantly lower $\alpha$-diversity compared with casein and chickpea isolate groups while chickpea flour, had the greatest distinction in $\beta$-diversity. Alternative protein sources supported optimal growth, but quality and health implications require further exploration.