Transglutaminase-treated caseinate and metabolic responses in young adults
What it found
In 13 healthy young people, a drink made with transglutaminase-treated caseinate gave the same blood sugar, insulin, amino acid and appetite responses as untreated caseinate.
The authors say the crosslinking did not change how the protein was digested and absorbed.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood sugar and insulin
Blood sugar and insulin responses after the treated caseinate drink were the same as after the untreated caseinate drink. There were also no differences between the caseinate drinks and the whey protein drink.
Amino acids in blood
Amino acid levels after the treated caseinate drink were the same as after untreated caseinate. Whey protein gave different amino acid patterns, with higher levels of some amino acids and lower levels of others.
Gastric emptying
The time for half the drink to leave the stomach and the gastric emptying coefficient were similar for all three drinks. There was a trend for faster emptying after whey protein than after caseinate.
Appetite and food intake
Hunger, fullness and other appetite ratings did not differ among the three drinks. Energy intake and the amount of carbohydrate, fat and fibre eaten on the study days were also similar.
Protein intake after test day
On the remaining part of the study day, protein intake was higher after the treated caseinate drink than after the untreated caseinate drink (84.9 g vs. 65.5 g). On other days protein intake was similar.
What the authors conclude
“Our study indicates that crosslinking with TG does not alter postprandial metabolism and appetitive responses of sodium caseinate when consumed in the form of a pourable test products, even if crosslinking causes changes in protein molecular structure and a slight increase in the viscosity of the beverage.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that crosslinking with transglutaminase does not alter postprandial metabolism and appetitive responses of sodium caseinate when consumed as a pourable drink.
- They say the changes from crosslinking were probably not extensive enough to change gastric function or protein digestibility.
How it was done
The authors wanted to know whether crosslinking sodium caseinate with the enzyme transglutaminase changes its digestion and absorption. Earlier lab studies suggested crosslinking might make casein more resistant to breakdown, but this had not been confirmed in people.
Thirteen healthy young adults (11 women, 2 men) drank three different 500 g beverages in random order: one with untreated sodium caseinate, one with transglutaminase-treated sodium caseinate, and one with whey protein. Blood was taken for 4 hours after each drink to measure glucose, insulin and amino acids, and gastric emptying and appetite were also tracked.
What it can’t tell you
- This was a small study of 13 healthy young adults, so the results may not apply to other groups, such as older people or those with health conditions.
- The study lasted only 4 hours after each drink, so it cannot show any longer-term effects of regularly consuming transglutaminase-treated caseinate.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Eastern Finland, Finland
The paper
- Title
- Crosslinking with transglutaminase does not change metabolic effects of sodium caseinate in model beverage in healthy young individuals
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Juvonen KR, Lille ME, Laaksonen DE, et al (2012). Crosslinking with transglutaminase does not change metabolic effects of sodium caseinate in model beverage in healthy young individuals. Nutrition journal. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-35Free full textPubMed 22657838DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error