Comparing isolated soy protein with flaxseed oil vs isolated soy protein with corn oil and wheat flour with corn oil consumption on muscle catabolism, liver function, blood lipid, and sugar in burn patients: a randomized clinical trial.

Key Findings

Burn injuries lead to whole-body catabolism, significantly elevated resting energy expenditure (REE), and multi-organ dysfunction. Burn patients have liver dysfunction, severe muscle catabolism, increased protein degradation, and insulin resistance. Flaxseed oil (FO) is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids with anti-inflammatory effects on burn-induced inflammation. This study involved a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in humans assessing the effects of isolated soy protein (ISP) and FO on burn patients, in particular muscle catabolism, liver function, blood lipid, and sugar. The results of this study showed that nutritional support with ISP alone or in combination with FO can decrease muscle catabolism in burn patients.

ABSTRACT

There is controversy regarding whether increasing isolated soy protein (ISP) with or without flaxseed oil (FO), as functional foods, would lead to reduce muscle catabolism and cachexia in burn patients. One hundred and eighty-eight patients were assessed for eligibility in this randomized controlled trial. Of these, seventy-three eligible patients (total burn surface area 20-50%) were randomly assigned to three groups, labeled as Control (wheat flour [WF] + corn oil [CO]), ISP + FO, and ISP + CO, to receive these nutrients for three weeks. Weight, body mass index (BMI), serum hepatic enzymes (alanine transaminase [ALT], aspartate transaminase [AST], alkaline phosphatase [ALP]), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), 24-h urinary urea nitrogen excretion (UUN), serum creatinine, 24-h urinary creatinine (UUC) excretion, fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol were measured. Using analysis of covariance models in the intention-to-treat population (n = 73), we found that at three weeks, patients in the ISP groups had lost significantly less in weight and BMI compared to those in the control group (all P < 0.01). Nitrogen retention and serum creatinine (primary outcomes) increased significantly in the ISP groups compared with the control group. Even after controlling for potential covariates in ANCOVA models, changes in these indices were still statistically significant (P = 0.008 and P = 0.005 for nitrogen balance and serum creatinine, respectively). However, no such significant differences were found between the ISP groups. On the other hand, 24-h UUN, and UUC excretion, serum hepatic enzymes, FBS, TG, and cholesterol were not significant between the groups (P > 0.05). ISP and FO compared to WF and CO reduced muscle catabolism and increased body weight in burn patients.