Blended-protein changes body weight gain and intestinal tissue morphology in rats by regulating arachidonic acid metabolism and secondary bile acid biosynthesis induced by gut microbiota

A total of thirty SD rats were randomly assigned to receive diets containing animal-based protein (whey protein, WP), plant-based protein (soybean protein, SP), or a blend of soybean-whey proteins (S-WP) for a duration of eight weeks. We aimed to determine whether dietary protein was a crucial regulatory factor for the composition of the gut microbiota.