Recipient organisationNIHR Wellcome Trust Imperial Clinical Research Facility
NIHR supportRecorded as supported by this research centre
PeriodFeb 2025 — Mar 2028
In plain English
AI plain-English summary
Researchers will thread thin tubes through volunteers' nostrils and into specific sections of the small intestine to deliver chickpea-digestion byproducts directly to the gut lining. This matters because current weight-loss and diabetes treatments often target appetite hormones indirectly, with variable results. The study aims to pinpoint exactly which gut regions produce the strongest hormone and satiety responses when exposed to specific metabolites—simple sugars and amino acids released during legume digestion. Knowing this could allow future therapies to be designed for precise delivery, rather than relying on whole foods or systemic drugs. If the research succeeds, it could change how clinicians approach appetite control and blood sugar management. Instead of broad dietary advice or medications that affect the whole body, doctors might one day use targeted nutrient infusions or engineered foods that stimulate the gut's own hormone release at the optimal location. This would offer a more natural, side-effect-free alternative for managing obesity and type 2 diabetes, conditions that place enormous strain on healthcare systems. The work is a controlled human experiment, not a treatment trial, but it provides the fundamental physiological map needed to design smarter interventions.
View original technical description
The aim of this study is to determine the effects of legume digestion-related metabolites, infused into the stomach, duodenum, and ileum, on gastrointestinal hormones, satiety, and energy intake. Fifteen healthy volunteers will be recruited from the healthy volunteer database. They will attend a screening visit followed by a 3-day inpatient study at the NIHR Imperial Clinical Research Facility. All women of childbearing potential will undergo a pregnancy test. During the study, two nasoenteric tubes will be inserted through the nostrils into the ileum (on day 1), and into the stomach and duodenum (on day 2). Tube placements will be performed by a radiology consultant and will follow the protocols established in our previous studies (REC 17/LO/0354, REC 19/LO/0962). Tube locations will be confirmed using fluoroscopy. Once the tubes are in place, participants will receive either a saline solution (control arm) or metabolite mixtures (intervention arm) on days 2 and 3 in a randomized order. The metabolite mixtures will be guided by our previous studies, where we measured metabolite profile changes in healthy human guts following the intake of chickpea meals that enhance appetite-suppressing gut hormones. These include simple sugars and amino acids. Blood samples will be taken during the infusion period to measure appetite-related hormone and metabolite changes and glycaemic outcomes? Subjective appetite scores will be recorded? Urine samples will be collected to measure metabolite levels. After the infusion interventions, a pasta meal will be provided to measure food intake.
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