[N-15]-labeled pea flour protein nitrogen exhibits good ileal digestibility and postprandial retention in humans

The aim of the present study was to evaluate postprandial absorption of pea protein as well as exogenous nitrogen retention in humans. For this purpose, after fasting overnight, seven healthy adults (4 males and 3 females) ingested [N-15]-labeled pea protein (195 mmol N). Ileal effluents were collected for 8 h at 30-min intervals using a nasointestinal intubation technique. Urine and plasma samples were collected for 24 h. The [N-15]- enrichment was determined in the intestinal samples, in the plasma amino acids and urea as well as in the urinary urea and ammonia fractions. The true gastroileal absorption of pea protein was 89.4 +/- 1.1%. This absorption was correlated with a significant increase (P < 0.05) in [N-15]-enrichment in the plasma amino acids and in the nitrogen incorporated into the body urea pool for 1 h following pea ingestion. The enrichment remained significantly higher than the basal values in these pools 24 h after pea ingestion. The recovery of total urinary exogenous nitrogen after 22 h was 31.1 +/- 9.3 mmol N. Moreover, the kinetics of [N-15]-labeled pea amino acids deamination reached a plateau of 39 mmol. Under these conditions, pea nitrogen retention represented 78% of the absorbed dietary nitrogen in healthy humans. The present results demonstrate the good true nitrogen digestibility and retention of pea protein in humans.