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Protein hydrolysates are produced by breaking down proteins into short protein fragments (peptides) and amino acids. They are playing an increasingly important role in the production of plant-based foods. In a new human study, researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich and ZIEL – Institute for Food & Health of the Technical University of Munich have shown that different hydrolysates from pea protein influence satiety in different ways. The study provides a scientific basis for the development of new foods that support nutritional strategies for weight regulation.
The demand for plant-based protein sources is growing because their production requires significantly less energy, water, and land than animal products. Protein hydrolysates are becoming particularly important in food production because they are versatile and easy to process technologically. However, one disadvantage of such hydrolysates is their often bitter taste, which many consumers find unpleasant. “This is due to certain peptides and free amino acids,” says Katrin Gradl, first author of the study.
However, recent studies suggest that these bitter compounds may influence satiety, for example by slowing gastric emptying or promoting the release of satiety hormones. Similarly, research indicates that less extensively hydrolyzed proteins primarily delay gastric emptying. More extensively broken-up proteins pass through the stomach more quickly and are thus more likely to trigger a hormonal satiety response in the intestine.
Pilot study with two different pea protein hydrolysates
To test these hypotheses, the research team led by Veronika Somoza, research group leader at the Leibniz Institute, conducted a pilot study with 19 overweight men (body mass index 25–30 kg/m²). The focus was on how the degree of hydrolysis and the degree of bitterness of two different pea protein hydrolysates affect satiety regulation.
In the current pilot study, the subjects received 15 grams of one of the two pea protein hydrolysates two hours before a test breakfast on different study days. The protein hydrolysate H1 was less bitter and more hydrolyzed (degree of hydrolysis 35 percent). The other hydrolysate, H2, tasted more bitter, was less hydrolyzed (degree of hydrolysis 23 percent) and therefore more difficult to digest.
The researchers then recorded how much energy the participants consumed at breakfast. They were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. The researchers also examined how quickly the participants' stomachs emptied and their hormone levels in the blood.
What the study shows
Participants who received the more bitter, less broken up hydrolysate H2 showed delayed gastric emptying and consumed an average of around 126 kilocalories less at breakfast. The less bitter-tasting and more highly hydrolyzed product H1, on the other hand, significantly reduced ghrelin and DPP4 concentrations in the blood without affecting short-term energy intake. A low ghrelin level signals less hunger to the body. A lower DPP-4 concentration causes satiety hormones to remain active longer, thereby promoting satiety.
“Our results show that both hydrolysates influence the feeling of satiety in different ways. Hydrolysate H2 quickly made the subjects feel full, so they ate less. Hydrolysate H1, on the other hand, had a delayed effect and presumably promotes a longer-lasting feeling of satiety between meals,” explains principal investigator Veronika Somoza. “Both bitterness and degree of hydrolysis played a decisive role in this. The study thus provides valuable insights for the development of functional foods that can contribute to reducing energy intake in a natural way.”
Publication: Gradl, K., Sterneder, S., Kahlenberg, K., Brandl, B., Skurk, T., and Somoza, V. (2025). Randomized Controlled Trial: Effects of a Bitter-Tasting Pea Protein Hydrolysate Intervention With Low Degree of Hydrolysis on Energy Intake in Moderately Overweight Male Subjects. Mol Nutr Food Res, e70195. 10.1002/mnfr.70195. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70195
Funding: IGF project 21916 N of the Research Association of the Food Industry (FEI) was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) as part of the program for the promotion of industrial joint research (IGF) based on a resolution of the German Bundestag.
More Information:
The body mass index (BMI) is a measure used by researchers, for example, to estimate a person's body weight and classify them as underweight, normal weight, or overweight. It is calculated by dividing body weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.
The limits for BMI are as follows: a BMI below 18.5 means underweight, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30.0 or above is considered obese. It should be noted that these values apply to adults and may vary depending on age, gender, and muscle mass.
Pea protein hydrolysates and degree of hydrolysis:
The pea protein hydrolysates currently available on the market are partial hydrolysates, which are obtained through chemical or enzymatic cleavage processes. In partial hydrolysates, the cleavage process is not completely finished, so that larger protein residues remain in addition to free amino acids and short peptide chains. The degree of hydrolysis indicates how many peptide bonds in a protein hydrolysate have been cleaved in relation to all peptide bonds in the original protein. It therefore indicates the extent to which the long protein chains have already been broken down into shorter peptides and amino acids.
Contact:
Scientific Contact:
Prof. Dr. Veronika Somoza
Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology
at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM)
Head of the Metabolic Function & Biosignals research group
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising
Email: v.somoza.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Katrin Gradl
Research Group Metabolic Function & Biosignals
Email: k.gradl.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Press Contact at Leibniz-LSB@TUM:
Dr. Gisela Olias
Knowledge Transfer, Press and Public Relations
Tel.: +49 8161 71-2980
Email: g.olias.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Information About the Institute:
The Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM) comprises a unique research profile at the interface of Food Chemistry & Biology, Chemosensors & Technology, and Bioinformatics & Machine Learning. As this profile has grown far beyond the previous core discipline of classical food chemistry, the Institute spearheads the development of a food systems biology. Its aim is to develop new approaches for the sustainable production of sufficient quantities of food whose biologically active effector molecule profiles are geared to health and nutritional needs, but also to the sensory preferences of consumers. To do so, the Institute explores the complex networks of sensorically relevant effector molecules along the entire food production chain with a focus on making their effects systemically understandable and predictable in the long term.
A Member of the Leibniz Associatation
The Leibniz-LSB@TUM is a member of the Leibniz Association (https://www.leibniz-gemeinschaft.de/en/), which connects 96 independent research institutions. Their orientation ranges from the natural sciences, engineering and environmental sciences through economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance.They conduct basic and applied research, including in the interdisciplinary Leibniz Research Alliances, maintain scientific infrastructure, and provide research-based services. The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer, particularly with the Leibniz research museums. It advises and informs policymakers, science, industry and the general public.
Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – including in the form of Leibniz ScienceCampi – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad. They are subject to a transparent, independent evaluation procedure. Because of their importance for the country as a whole, the Leibniz Association Institutes are funded jointly by Germany’s central and regional governments. The Leibniz Institutes employ around 21,300 people, including 12,200 researchers. The financial volume amounts to 2,2 billion euros.
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Prof. Dr. Veronika Somoza
Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology
at the Technical University of Munich (Leibniz-LSB@TUM)
Head of the Metabolic Function & Biosignals research group
Lise-Meitner-Str. 34
85354 Freising
Email: v.somoza.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Katrin Gradl
Research Group Metabolic Function & Biosignals
Email: k.gradl.leibniz-lsb@tum.de
Publication: Gradl, K., Sterneder, S., Kahlenberg, K., Brandl, B., Skurk, T., and Somoza, V. (2025). Randomized Controlled Trial: Effects of a Bitter-Tasting Pea Protein Hydrolysate Intervention With Low Degree of Hydrolysis on Energy Intake in Moderately Overweight Male Subjects. Mol Nutr Food Res, e70195. 10.1002/mnfr.70195. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.70195
Doctoral student Katrin Gradl working in the cell culture lab
Source: J. Krpelan
Copyright: Leibniz-LSB@TUM
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Doctoral student Katrin Gradl working in the cell culture lab
Source: J. Krpelan
Copyright: Leibniz-LSB@TUM
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