Mycoprotein and the gut microbiota – the story so far
By Dr Dominic Farsi RNutr
Is there an uncovered potential of fungal proteins in gut health? In this blog, we delve into the latest research on mycoprotein,1 a high fibre fungal protein, and learn about how it could have a distinct influence on the gut microbiota for the better.
What is the gut microbiota?
Microorganisms, or microbes for short, are microscopic living things, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.2 Trillions of microbes, mostly bacteria, live in our gut, which constitute our gut microbiota.
Whilst a definitive “healthy gut microbiota” is to be established, it is recognised that having a diverse gut microbiota is important for health.3 This community of microbes is in a delicate balance, when this balance is disrupted it is referred to as dysbiosis and is linked to disease.4
What is the role of the gut microbiota?
Our gut microbiota has a variety of functions including:
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Fibre fermentation. In the large intestine, certain bacteria breakdown fibre we eat which our own enzymes can’t. This produces metabolites such as short chain fatty acids (SCFA) which are integral in maintaining a heathy gut (and beyond!). In this context, eating more fibre may be protective against intestinal disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, particularly colorectal cancer.5-10 Hence, the recommendation to eat 30 grams of fibre a day.
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Protection against pathogens. Beneficial microbes defend the gut ecosystem against harmful pathogens by outcompeting for space, starving of available substrate and producing substances that can kill and inhibit pathogens.11
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Maintenance of the immune system. Approximately 70% of immune cells are found in the gut. The gut microbiota regulates the immune system by communicating with immune cells and is even involved in its development.12-14
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Synthesising key nutrients. Bacteria in the gut produce an assortment of essential nutrients including B vitamins and vitamin K.15
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Influencing the gut-brain axis. The gut microbiota and brain communicate through various routes, with activities in the gut influencing the brain, and vice versa. For instance, stress can impact the gut-brain axis while the gut microbiota is implicated in conditions such as autism, anxiety, schizophrenia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.16
Can we influence our gut microbiota?
Certainly. Our community of gut microbes is not set in stone and many factors influence which microbes reside in our gut. We’ll focus on a big one, diet! The food we eat can have a significant impact on our gut microbiota. For example, people who eat an animal-based diet have a distinct gut microbiota from those who eat a plant-based diet.17
Let’s narrow down further and focus on fibre, as this is a dietary factor which has a big impact on the gut microbiota. More fibre entering the large intestine means more substrate for beneficial bacteria to metabolise, resulting in these bacteria increasing in number as well as more SCFA being produced. This shifts the gut environment to one which will benefit gut (and overall) health.18
Could mycoprotein influence our gut microbiota?
Mycoprotein is a fungal protein which is high in fibre,19 and because it is high in fibre, it could positively impact the gut microbiota. But the structure of mycoproteins fibre could also have interesting effects: the fibre in mycoprotein is made up of 2/3 β-glucan and 1/3 chitin, reflective of the fungal cell wall (see Figure 1), which makes it different from non-fungal sources of fibre. However, that’s not the only difference, as the β-glucan is also arranged differently to β-glucan found in other fibre sources like oats (see Figure 2).20 Therefore, mycoproteins fibre may be digested differently to other fibre sources and have a distinct influence on the gut microbiota.
Figure 1. Composition of the fungal cell wall which mycoprotein is derived from, which shows the β-glucan and chitin components that form the fibre structure of mycoprotein. From Derbyshire and Delange 2021(2)
Figure 2. Difference between the structure of a) fungal β-glucan found in mycoprotein (composed of β(1-3) and β(1-6) bonding) and b) β-glucan found in oats (composed of β(1-3) and β(1-4) bonding)
What does the research on mycoprotein and the gut microbiota suggest?
A study at Northumbria University investigated how β-glucan in mycoprotein is broken down by gut bacteria. The research found species belonging to the genus Bacteroides can break down mycoproteins β-glucan and that species of Bifidobacterium; a bacterial genus often found in probiotic foods and supplements,21 were able to use the breakdown products. This study suggests mycoprotein can be broken down and used by beneficial bacteria in the gut through cross-feeding.22
A study at Quadram Institute Bioscience simulated the fermentation of mycoprotein in the large intestine and found an increase in species of Bacteroides associated with fibre fermentation and health benefits.23
The study also identified different microbes and metabolites that were enriched following mycoprotein fermentation compared to oats, suggesting mycoprotein’s fibre may well have a different influence on the gut microbiota. Mycoprotein fermentation also led to SCFA production, which has also been reported by an earlier study at the University of Glasgow using a different type of fermentation model.24
So far, the only human study to investigate the impact of mycoprotein on the gut microbiota is the Mycomeat study, also at Northumbria University.25 This was a randomised crossover-controlled trial where 20 healthy men consumed 240 grams daily of either red and processed meat, or mycoprotein-based products, for 2 weeks. The study found changes in the gut microbiota after the mycoprotein diet including increases in Akkermansia, Lactobacillus and Roseburia.
Lactobacillus, like Bifidobacterium, is also a bacterial genus often found in probiotic foods and supplements and for decades has been evidenced with benefits in and out of the gut.26 Akkermansia thrives in the mucus layer of our intestine and breaks down a type of sugary protein called mucin in our gut lining, which strengthens the gut barrier, creating a more resilient gut environment.27
While Roseburia ferments fibre, producing SCFA and is thought to be beneficial for gut health, highlighted by the fact numbers are reduced in colorectal cancer and intestinal disease.28 These changes in the gut microbiota coincided with reductions in faecal genotoxicity, genotoxins, and increased SCFA production, suggesting that mycoprotein may be able to improve the gut environment via the gut microbiota.
What next?
Mycoprotein is a high fibre protein source, with research so far suggesting it could positively impact the gut microbiota. However, research on mycoprotein and the gut microbiota is still in its infancy, therefore, more human studies are needed to understand the full impact of consuming mycoprotein on the gut microbiota, gut health and beyond!
About the author
Dominic Farsi is a Registered Nutritionist and postdoctoral researcher at King’s College London. His research investigates the interrelationship between diet, health and the gut microbiome and how we can eat to benefit both human and planetary health using a variety of methods including human dietary intervention studies and bioinformatics. You can find out more here, as well as find him on LinkedIn and X.
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