Effects of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng Saponins Extract on the Pharmacokinetics of Whey Protein Absorption, Intestinal Permeability, and Muscle Function: A Pilot Study.

Immediate APS supplementation produced modest increases in area under the curve for branched-chain amino acids compared to placebo in a single-dose trial.

• AUC for valine was 6.67% higher with APS vs. placebo
• AUC for leucine was 3.62% higher with APS vs. placebo
• AUC for isoleucine was 0.15% higher with APS vs. placebo
• These were single-dose, immediate absorption measurements
• Study used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design with 30 healthy participants

After 4 weeks of daily APS supplementation combined with resistance training, absorption of branched-chain amino acids increased significantly compared to the single-dose results.

• Valine absorption increased by 14.07% after 4 weeks
• Leucine absorption increased by 8.34% after 4 weeks
• Isoleucine absorption improved by 6.33% after 4 weeks
• The 4-week phase combined daily supplementation with resistance training
• Long-term effects were greater in magnitude than single-dose effects for all three branched-chain amino acids

The effects of APS on total essential amino acid absorption were most pronounced in older adults aged 60-80 years.

• Older adults (60-80 years) showed a 12.74% increase in total essential amino acid absorption
• 30 participants were equally stratified into three age groups: 18-25, 26-59, and 60-80 years (n=10 per group)
• The paper characterizes older adults as the group most relevant to age-related muscle loss
• Findings highlight APS's synergistic role in improving protein supplementation efficacy for those with age-related muscle loss

APS supplementation resulted in greater improvements in grip strength compared to placebo after 4 weeks.

• Grip strength increased by +5.20% in the APS group vs. +2.44% in the placebo group
• Both groups underwent resistance training during the 4-week supplementation phase
• The difference represents approximately a 2.76 percentage point greater improvement with APS

APS supplementation produced a greater increase in muscle mass compared to placebo after 4 weeks.

• Muscle mass increased by +0.85% in the APS group vs. +0.68% in the placebo group
• Both groups participated in resistance training alongside supplementation
• The difference represents approximately a 0.17 percentage point greater increase with APS

APS supplementation substantially reduced blood zonulin levels compared to placebo, indicating improved intestinal barrier integrity.

• Zonulin levels decreased by -13.01% in the APS group vs. -0.9% in the placebo group
• Zonulin is described as a marker of intestinal permeability and barrier integrity
• The reduction was assessed after the 4-week supplementation phase
• No adverse effects on liver or kidney function were observed with APS supplementation

The study was designed as a two-phase randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial in healthy adults across different age groups.

• 30 healthy participants were enrolled and equally stratified into three age groups: 18-25, 26-59, and 60-80 years
• Phase 1 was a single-dose trial measuring immediate amino acid absorption from whey protein
• Phase 2 was a 4-week phase combining daily supplementation with resistance training
• Outcomes included amino acid absorption kinetics, muscle function (grip strength, muscle mass), and gut health (blood zonulin levels)
• The intervention consisted of Astragalus membranaceus and Panax notoginseng saponins extract (APS) combined with whey protein