Substituting meat for mycoprotein reduces genotoxicity and increases the abundance of beneficial microbes in the gut: Mycomeat, a randomised crossover control trial

European Journal of Nutrition · 8 authors, 2 centres

AI SUMMARY

FIDELITY 100%

POPULATION20 healthy male adults aged 18–50 years, BMI 18–30 kg/m², from North-East England, UK

INTERVENTION240 g/day mycoprotein (as Quorn™ products) for 2 weeks

COMPARISON240 g/day red and processed meat for 2 weeks (crossover design with 4-week washout)

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TL;DR

This randomised crossover trial in 20 healthy men found that replacing 240 g/day of red and processed meat with an equal weight of mycoprotein (Quorn™) for 2 weeks significantly reduced faecal water genotoxicity and nitroso compound excretion, while increasing beneficial gut microbes such as Lactobacilli, Roseburia, and Akkermansia. The meat phase increased genotoxicity and genotoxins, whereas the mycoprotein phase reduced them, suggesting mycoprotein may be a gut-healthier alternative to meat. These findings support mycoprotein as a potentially protective dietary component against colorectal cancer risk.

Full summary

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**Background:** High red and processed meat consumption is consistently associated with increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, partly through increased faecal genotoxicity and nitroso compound (NOC) excretion. Mycoprotein, a high-fibre meat alternative derived from Fusarium venenatum, has been consumed for decades but its effects on human gut health and CRC risk markers were previously unstudied. This trial aimed to compare the effects of substituting a high meat intake with mycoprotein on biomarkers of CRC risk and gut health.

**Methods:** Mycomeat was a single-site, investigator-blind, randomised crossover trial (NCT03944421) conducted at Northumbria University, UK. Twenty healthy male adults (mean age 30.4 ± 7.92 years, BMI 24.0 ± 2.87 kg/m²) were randomised to consume 240 g/day of red and processed meat or 240 g/day mycoprotein (Quorn™ products) for 2 weeks, separated by a 4-week washout. Primary endpoints were faecal water genotoxicity (CometChip assay in Caco-2 cells) and faecal NOC (chemiluminescence). Secondary endpoints included gut microbiome composition (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing), faecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs) by GC–MS, and untargeted metabolomics of urine and faeces by HILIC-HRMS. Statistical analyses used mixed-effects models adjusted for age, BMI, alcohol intake, and diet order, with Benjamini–Hochberg FDR correction for microbiome data.

**Key Results:** Faecal water genotoxicity significantly decreased from baseline after the mycoprotein phase (−8.28 ± 3.60% DNA in tail, P = 0.05) and non-significantly increased after meat (+4.91 ± 2.65%, P = 0.09), with a significant difference between phases (13.19 ± 4.41%, P = 0.01). Faecal NOC significantly decreased after mycoprotein (−1044.00 ± 377.00 nmol, P = 0.02) and increased after meat (+609.50 ± 541.00 nmol, P = 0.20), with a significant between-phase difference (1653.50 ± 677.00 nmol, P = 0.01). Urinary p-cresol sulphate significantly decreased after mycoprotein (P = 0.002) and increased after meat (P = 0.40), with a significant between-phase difference (P = 0.02). At the genus level, mycoprotein significantly increased Lactobacillus (P = 0.05), Roseburia (P < 0.001), and Akkermansia (P = 0.02), while meat increased Oscillibacter (P = 0.004) and Alistipes. The between-phase difference for Roseburia was highly significant (P < 0.001). Faecal valerate was significantly higher after mycoprotein versus meat (144.31 ± 53.76 μg/g, P = 0.02). Total BCFA decreased significantly after meat (−190.15 ± 87.24 μg/g, P = 0.01), with a significant between-phase difference (151.81 ± 86.67 μg/g, P = 0.04). Self-reported fibre intake increased significantly during the mycoprotein phase versus meat (+16.74 ± 3.65 g/day, P < 0.001).

**Clinical Implications:** This study provides the first human evidence that replacing red and processed meat with mycoprotein reduces faecal genotoxicity and genotoxin excretion while increasing beneficial gut microbes and SCFA production. The reduction in genotoxicity and NOC, coupled with increases in butyrate-producing Roseburia and mucin-degrading Akkermansia, suggests mycoprotein may lower CRC risk markers. The increases in Lactobacilli, which can bind and modify NOC, and the reduction in urinary p-cresol sulphate (a genotoxic fermentation product) further support a protective role. Limitations include the exclusively male, healthy, non-obese cohort, lack of full dietary control, and use of 16S sequencing (genus-level only). Larger, more diverse studies with longer interventions and fibre-matched controls are needed to confirm these effects and elucidate mechanisms.

PICO

PPOPULATION

20 healthy male adults aged 18–50 years, BMI 18–30 kg/m², from North-East England, UK

IINTERVENTION

240 g/day mycoprotein (as Quorn™ products) for 2 weeks

OOUTCOME

Primary: faecal water genotoxicity and faecal genotoxins (nitroso compounds). Secondary: gut microbiome composition, short-chain fatty acids, urinary and faecal metabolome

STUDY TYPE

RCT

SPECIALTY

gastroenterology

SUMMARISED BY

AI pipeline

FIDELITY CHECK

100% · A

ORIGINAL PAPER

PMC10030420

Substituting meat for mycoprotein reduces genotoxicity and increases the abundance of beneficial microbes in the gut: Mycomeat, a randomised crossover control trial

European Journal of Nutrition

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ABSTRACT

Abstract Purpose The high-meat, low-fibre Western diet is strongly associated with colorectal cancer risk. Mycoprotein, produced from Fusarium venanatum , has been sold as a high-fibre alternative to meat for decades. Hitherto, the effects of mycoprotein in the human bowel have not been well considered. Here, we explored the effects of replacing a high red and processed meat intake with mycoprotein on markers of intestinal genotoxicity and gut health. Methods Mycomeat (clinicaltrials.gov NCT03944421 ) was an investigator-blind, randomised, crossover dietary intervention trial. Twenty healthy male adults were randomised to consume 240 g day −1 red and processed meat for 2 weeks, with crossover to 2 weeks 240 g day −1 mycoprotein, separated by a 4-week washout period. Primary end points were faecal genotoxicity and genotoxins, while secondary end points comprised changes in gut microbiome composition and activity. Results The meat diet increased faecal genotoxicity and nitroso compound excretion, whereas the weight-matched consumption of mycoprotein decreased faecal genotoxicity and nitroso compounds. In addition, meat intake increased the abundance of Oscillobacter and Alistipes , whereas mycoprotein consumption increased Lactobacilli , Roseburia and Akkermansia , as well as the excretion of short chain fatty acids. Conclusion Replacing red and processed meat with the Fusarium -based meat alternative, mycoprotein, significantly reduces faecal genotoxicity and genotoxin excretion and increases the abundance of microbial genera with putative health benefits in the gut. This work demonstrates that mycoprotein may be a beneficial alternative to meat within the context of gut health and colorectal cancer prevention. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00394-023-03088-x. Keywords: Mycoprotein, Meat, Quorn, Genotoxicity, Microbiome, Colorectal cancer risk

CITATION EXPORT

Dominic N Farsi, Jose Lara Gallegos, Georgios Koutsidis et al.. Substituting meat for mycoprotein reduces genotoxicity and increases the abundance of beneficial microbes in the gut: Mycomeat, a randomised crossover control trial. European Journal of Nutrition. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-023-03088-x

AUTHORS

8 · 2 CENTRES

Dominic N Farsi, Jose Lara Gallegos, Georgios Koutsidis, Andrew Nelson, Tim J A Finnigan, William Cheung, Jose L Muñoz-Muñoz, Daniel M Commane

1Department of Applied Sciences, University of Northumbria, Newcastle, UK
2Marlow Foods, Stokesley, UK