Deciphering the Physiological Responses to the Intake of Plant-Based Meat Analogues: On the Track of Microbiota and Biomarkers in Serum and Urine

Growing concerns about the alleged negative outcomes
of the consumption
of animal-based foods (ABF) lead a number of consumers to demand so-called
plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs), which are designed to replicate
the sensory and nutritional characteristics of genuine meat. This
study aimed to characterize the physiological effects of long-term
PBMA consumption by comparing their specific influence on both gut
microbiota and fluids (i.e., plasma and urine) with those of conventional
beef in a rodent model by using metagenomic and metabolomic tools.
Twenty-one Wistar rats were divided into groups and consumed diets
made with either wheat- and soy-based meat analogues or beef. The
microbiota of PBMA-fed animals showed increased amounts of the harmful
genus of gut bacteria, while their metabolomes reflected disturbances
in the nitrogen-containing compound metabolism and the presence of
potentially harmful metabolites. These results should raise concern
and prompt further research into the long-term impact of consumption
of PBMAs on health.