Nutritional Profiling and Cytotoxicity Assessment of Protein Rich Ingredients Used as Dietary Supplements

Abstract

In recent years, the scientific community has made significant progress in understanding nutrition, leading consumers to shift their preferences away from animal-based protein products and towards natural, plant-based protein sources. This study aimed to determine the nutritional value, in vitro cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity for different sources of high protein content products (pea, yeast, almond, spirulina and Pleurotus spp.) with potential usage as raw materials for dietary supplements, especially since these products do not benefit from stricter regulation requirements regarding their actual health benefits. The characterization of raw materials consisted in evaluation of their nutritional profile (by addressing moisture content, crude protein content, extractable fat, ash, carbohydrates) and microbial contamination (TAMC, TYMC, Enterobacteriaceae and β-glucuronidase positive Escherichia coli), total content of free amino acids, soluble proteins, phenols and flavonoids, as well as antioxidant activity through chemical assays. We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release to evaluate the potential cytotoxicity of selected raw materials. Results obtained indicate high percentages of proteins for the pea powder (77.96%) and Spirulina powder (64.79%), Pleurotus spp. flour had strong antioxidant activity, while the highest contamination values were registered for Pleurotus spp. powder (4.6 × 105 CFU/g or 5.66 log CFU/g). Cytotoxicity results demonstrate that tested ingredients have an impact on the metabolic activity of cells, affecting cellular integrity and provoking leakage of DNA at several concentrations. While plant-based protein supplementation may appear to be a promising solution to balance our busy lives, there are several advantages and disadvantages associated with them, including issues related to their absorption rate, bioavailability, cytotoxicity and actual nutritional benefits.