The study investigates how pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) affects protein absorption by using a test meal in a minipig model to validate biomarkers of protein malabsorption.
* Six minipigs with PEI and four controls were tested with a meal containing [N]casein, observing significant differences in protein digestibility and nutrient recovery between the groups.
* The findings indicate that nitrogen recovery in plasma and urine can effectively serve as markers for protein malabsorption, suggesting potential clinical applications for diagnosing the condition.