Cricket ProteinCriProBNCT06906159
Cricket Protein Bioavailability in Younger, Middle-Aged and Older Adults
A study testing Cricket protein and Whey protein in people with Cricket Protein and Whey Protein, run by University of Surrey at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
A global shift towards sustainable food sources is now emerging, largely due to the immense environmental pressure that comes from producing animal foods, particularly beef. Insects present a novel source of sustainable dietary protein due to their high protein content. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cricket Protein, Whey Protein
- What is being tested?
- Cricket protein and Whey protein
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 45 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 11 Mar 2024to 10 Mar 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Healthy adult males and females in general good health, aged between 18 - 35 years, 40 - 55 years or over 65 years
- BMI between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2
- Stable weight for at least 3 months
- Volunteers must be able and willing to give informed written consent
- Volunteers must be able to eat egg
- Volunteers must be willing to provide blood samples
Who cannot join
- Current or previous gastrointestinal conditions (e.g. Crohn's disease, Coeliac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome) - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Those with diabetes or other metabolic conditions - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Those taking food supplements which may impact digestion (e.g., digestive enzymes, probiotics, fibre supplements)
- Those smoking, using nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes, patches) or not abstained from these activities for more than 6 months - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Pregnant or lactating
- Volunteers with a high daily caffeine intake > 300 mg/day (more than 5 cups of standard coffee per day)
Show all 10Show fewer
- Drug or alcohol abuse in the last 2 years
- Those who are currently taking part in a clinical trial or another research study or have taken part within the last 3 months
- Those with food allergies, dietary intolerance or Coeliac disease - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Those following weight loss diets
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Cricket Protein Bioavailability in Younger, Middle-Aged and Alder Adults
A global shift towards sustainable food sources is now emerging, largely due to the immense environmental pressure that comes from producing animal foods, particularly beef. Insects present a novel source of sustainable dietary protein due to their high protein content. This is particularly relevant for older adults, as protein becomes increasingly more important in later life. It helps to maintain muscle as we age, which is crucial for reducing frailty, falls and early mortality. We want to find out more about the digestion and absorption of insect protein in older people to see if it could be a beneficial source of protein to help maintain muscle. We are interested in the use of insect-based solid foods, especially the use of flour made from grounded whole crickets. We want to explore the digestibility of cricket protein compared to a commonly used animal alternative (whey protein) to find out if it can be efficiently absorbed and utilised within humans.
Read the detailed description
Participants are asked to fast overnight and come in the following day for one of two visits where they are given a standardised breakfast muffin containing either cricket protein or whey protein (250-300 kcal; approx. 12% fat, 45% carbohydrates including 10% sugars, 35% protein, 0.4% salt and 6% fibre) after which they breathe into a test tube in 15-30 minute intervals for 4 hours. In addition to this, we collect a blood sample (10ml) every 15 minutes for the first hour and then every 30 minutes for the next 3 hours (110ml of blood in total per visit) so we can determine changes in blood amino acids, glucose and fat concentrations after eating the muffin. In total we only collect a small amount of blood. This method of blood collection is the same method used for a traditional blood test but to avoid repeated needle insertions we use a cannula which remains in the participant's arm for the duration of the visit so that only a single needle insertion is necessary.
The muffin contains a small amount of a natural fat called octanoic acid. The octanoic acid is enriched with carbon-13. This is a natural variant of carbon and is safe to use, even in babies and pregnant women. At the end of each test visit we ask participants to fill out a short questionnaire to ask about the taste of the muffins. Participants are required to repeat this whole process for a second visit in which they consume the other muffin.
The muffins are identical between the two test visits with the exception that one muffin is made with a milk-based protein (whey) whereas the other test muffin is made with an insect protein (cricket). The test muffins are similar in size, shape, and taste. Participants are randomised to a muffin condition in a crossover design. Participants are blinded to the muffin condition and only one member of the research team knows which muffin participants receive on which test visit but they are not present during the test visits. The researchers conducting the test visits do not know which muffin is being consumed by participants.
Participants are required to attend for 2 test visits each lasting approximately 5 hours. This takes place in the Clinical Investigation Unit (CIU) at the University of Surrey. On the day before each of the test visits participants are asked to arrive fasted for 12 hours overnight, refrain from strenuous exercise, alcohol, caffeine and food containing corn, broccoli, sugarcane, and tropical fruits (because of the type of natural carbon-13 they contain) the day before their visits.
- Conditions
- Cricket Protein, Whey Protein
- Being tested
- Cricket protein, Whey protein
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Cricket proteinDietary supplement
Muffins made with cricket-derived protein from house crickets (Acheta domesticus )
Whey proteinDietary supplement
Muffins made with whey protein
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket muffin | Experimental | Muffin made with cricket-derived protein powder Receives: Dietary Supplement: Cricket protein |
| Whey muffin | Active comparator | Muffin made with whey protein powder Receives: Dietary Supplement: Whey protein |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Gastric emptying
Exhaled breath is used to assess the rate of gastric emptying of the protein muffins
Measured: 4 hour post-prandial period
Plasma amino acids
Blood samples are used to assess the plasma amino acid response to consuming the protein muffins
Measured: 4 hour post-prandial period
Secondary outcomes (1)
Metabolic markers
Blood samples are also used to assess post-prandial glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol
Measured: 4 hour post-prandial period
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted2 Apr 2025
- Study start11 Mar 2024
- Primary completion10 Mar 2025
- Study completion10 Mar 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Cricket ProteinStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- Repeated measures randomised crossover design
- Masking
- Triple blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 45 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Surrey
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- HOP
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- James Rutherford, MSc, Study director, University of Surrey
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06906159
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- CriProB
- Acronym
- CriProB
- Status last verified
- Mar 2025
- First submitted
- 8 Jan 2025
- Last updated
- 2 Apr 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Apr 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Cricket Protein Bioavailability in Younger, Middle-Aged and Alder Adults
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06906159
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CriProB / CriProB
- Conditions
- Cricket Protein, Whey Protein
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 45 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of SurreyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- HOP
- Study start
- 11 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Mar 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 2 Apr 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
A global shift towards sustainable food sources is now emerging, largely due to the immense environmental pressure that comes from producing animal foods, particularly beef. Insects present a novel source of sustainable dietary protein due to their high protein content. This is particularly relevant for older adults, as protein becomes increasingly more important in later life. It helps to maintain muscle as we age, which is crucial for reducing frailty, falls and early mortality. We want to find out more about the digestion and absorption of insect protein in older people to see if it could be a beneficial source of protein to help maintain muscle. We are interested in the use of insect-based solid foods, especially the use of flour made from grounded whole crickets. We want to explore the digestibility of cricket protein compared to a commonly used animal alternative (whey protein) to find out if it can be efficiently absorbed and utilised within humans.
Detailed description
Participants are asked to fast overnight and come in the following day for one of two visits where they are given a standardised breakfast muffin containing either cricket protein or whey protein (250-300 kcal; approx. 12% fat, 45% carbohydrates including 10% sugars, 35% protein, 0.4% salt and 6% fibre) after which they breathe into a test tube in 15-30 minute intervals for 4 hours. In addition to this, we collect a blood sample (10ml) every 15 minutes for the first hour and then every 30 minutes for the next 3 hours (110ml of blood in total per visit) so we can determine changes in blood amino acids, glucose and fat concentrations after eating the muffin. In total we only collect a small amount of blood. This method of blood collection is the same method used for a traditional blood test but to avoid repeated needle insertions we use a cannula which remains in the participant's arm for the duration of the visit so that only a single needle insertion is necessary.
The muffin contains a small amount of a natural fat called octanoic acid. The octanoic acid is enriched with carbon-13. This is a natural variant of carbon and is safe to use, even in babies and pregnant women. At the end of each test visit we ask participants to fill out a short questionnaire to ask about the taste of the muffins. Participants are required to repeat this whole process for a second visit in which they consume the other muffin.
The muffins are identical between the two test visits with the exception that one muffin is made with a milk-based protein (whey) whereas the other test muffin is made with an insect protein (cricket). The test muffins are similar in size, shape, and taste. Participants are randomised to a muffin condition in a crossover design. Participants are blinded to the muffin condition and only one member of the research team knows which muffin participants receive on which test visit but they are not present during the test visits. The researchers conducting the test visits do not know which muffin is being consumed by participants.
Participants are required to attend for 2 test visits each lasting approximately 5 hours. This takes place in the Clinical Investigation Unit (CIU) at the University of Surrey. On the day before each of the test visits participants are asked to arrive fasted for 12 hours overnight, refrain from strenuous exercise, alcohol, caffeine and food containing corn, broccoli, sugarcane, and tropical fruits (because of the type of natural carbon-13 they contain) the day before their visits.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- Triple blind (participant, investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Repeated measures randomised crossover design
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket muffin | Experimental | Dietary Supplement: Cricket proteinMuffin made with cricket-derived protein powder |
| Whey muffin | Active comparator | Dietary Supplement: Whey proteinMuffin made with whey protein powder |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Healthy adult males and females in general good health, aged between 18 - 35 years, 40 - 55 years or over 65 years
- BMI between 18.5 and 35 kg/m2
- Stable weight for at least 3 months
- Volunteers must be able and willing to give informed written consent
- Volunteers must be able to eat egg
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Current or previous gastrointestinal conditions (e.g. Crohn's disease, Coeliac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome) - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Those with diabetes or other metabolic conditions - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Those taking food supplements which may impact digestion (e.g., digestive enzymes, probiotics, fibre supplements)
- Those smoking, using nicotine products (e.g., e-cigarettes, patches) or not abstained from these activities for more than 6 months - assessed via a health questionnaire
- Pregnant or lactating
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket proteinMuffins made with cricket-derived protein from house crickets (Acheta domesticus ) | Dietary supplement | Cricket muffin |
| Whey proteinMuffins made with whey protein | Dietary supplement | Whey muffin |
Primary outcome
Gastric emptying
Time frame: 4 hour post-prandial period
Exhaled breath is used to assess the rate of gastric emptying of the protein muffins
Plasma amino acids
Time frame: 4 hour post-prandial period
Blood samples are used to assess the plasma amino acid response to consuming the protein muffins
1 secondary outcome
Metabolic markers
Time frame: 4 hour post-prandial period
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Apr 2025.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Cricket Protein
Recruiting
Insect vs Animal Protein for Building Muscle
Cricket Protein, Whey Protein
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
James Rutherford, MSc study director
University of Surrey
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Cricket protein and Whey protein in people with Cricket Protein and Whey Protein, run by University of Surrey at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 10 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Apr 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Gastric emptying (time frame: 4 hour post-prandial period). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Apr 2025.