Phenylketonuria is the inability to metabolize the phenylalanine, which damages the brain and nerves. Phenylketonuria is an inherited disorder that increases the levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Basically, phenylalanine is the building block of amino acids and found in all proteins. If Phenylketonuria isn’t treated, it can create a build up of phenylalanine that can be harmful to the body. If left untreated, it can cause intellectual disability and slow growth and brain damage. The symptoms
amino acid phenylalanine. The disease can cause mental retardation because the build up of phenylalanine in the body. When phenylalanine is not broken down and turned in a different amino acid, tyrosine, it can create other enzyme routes that build up in the blood stream and body tissue. This can be extremely harmful to the body and its development. This disease is caused by missing the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, this enzyme is the one that normally breaks down phenylalanine. It is rare
includes phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, lysine, and histidine. And non-essential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Inborn errors of metabolism are caused by a single gene mutation that lead to a defect in an enzyme or transport protein. As a consequence, a specific metabolic
Aspartic acid is a very common amino acid that is found in protein rich foods, similar to Phenylalanine, such as fish, eggs, and meat. Aspartic acid also has no harmful side effects, and Aspartame is a very minor source compared to other listed sources of aspartic acid. Methanol Aspartame is made up of 10% Methanol, which is a toxic substance similar
solutions were prepared and used in TLC analysis. A permanganate test and a ceric nitrate test were also performed. The summary of the results is shown below. TLC Analysis/Rf Values • Plate I o Solution 1: Aspartame Rf: 0.571 o Solution 2: Phenylalanine Rf: 0.571 o Solution 3: Aspartic Acid Rf: 0.217 o Solution 4: Base-hydrolyzed Aspartame Rf: 0.498 • Plate II o Solution 5: Beverage A Rf: 0.519 o Solution 6: Beverage B Rf: 0.535 o Solution 7: Beverage C Rf: 0.388 o Solution 8: Aspartame
Aspartame is metabolized into 50 percent phenylalanine, 40 percent aspartic acid, and 10 percent methanol (Maher and Wurtman). The main problem lies in the lone amino acid. Phenylalanine is a vital amino acid, but it is also a “neurotoxin”—a molecule that causes adverse effects in the brain. Increased phenylalanine levels in the brain can repress enzymes required to make certain neurotransmitters which results in drastic consequences. For instance, phenylalanine can repress enzymes needed to make serotonin
newborn babies as they get older if not treated early at birth and hypothyroidism a disorder of the thyroid gland. Phenylketonuria is defined as an inherited disorder that increases the levels of a substance called phenylalanine in the blood. When it comes to any protein phenylalanine is a basic building block of all protein so that would mean that it would be found in all types of meats as well in vegetables and even milk.1 The signs and symptoms of PKU always very from mild to severe most of the
Aspartame will increase the levels of phenylalanine on the foetal side of the placenta. Increased levels of phenylalanine can interfere with the growth of the foetal brain. As the foetus absorbs the nutrients from the food and drinks which the mother consumes, diet drinks are not recommended during pregnancy. When aspartame is
these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death” (Aspartame…). Aspartame is a man-made chemical that is made up of aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. With, aspartic acid making up 40%, phenylalanine making up 50%, and methanol making up 10%. Taking in consideration the phenylalanine in diet soda,” Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression” (Aspartame…). With the
Diabetes is a disease that affects millions of Americans everyday. As the years go on, diabetes is becoming more and more prevalent within America. Ongoing research is being done to gain valuable intellect on the disease and for the development of treatments for the disease. There are a few different causes of diabetes but each involves contact with insulin and insulin receptor on some level, since insulin and insulin receptor are involved in the pathway that regulates glucose levels within the
Spoonful, and Equal-Measure are all brand names for aspartame, a low calorie sugar substitute used in more than 90 countries to sweeten foods and beverages. Aspartame is a synthetic chemical that is created through the combination of the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, and a small amount of methanol. Aspartame can be found in several products, such as soft drinks, over-the counter drugs, vitamin and herb supplements, instant breakfasts, candy, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum,
Introduction Phenylketonuria, or PKU, is “a genetic disorder in which a defective liver enzyme results in the inability to metabolize phenylalanine, an essential amino acid found in all dietary proteins” (Paul, 2000, para. 1). Phenylalanine (Phe) controls the coloring of skin and hair. PKU, if it goes untreated, can cause seizures, behavioral and physical abnormalities, and hinder intellectual growth. While both scientists and doctors have made great strides in testing and treatment of PKU here
However, most of them do not know the consequences of the drug. Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Aspartic acid affects brain processing, which causes severe headaches or migraines. This amino acid is found in almost all dietary proteins, but the acid has more content in drinks. Phenylalanine can be lead to brain damage. Also, there is an extra carbon atom known as methanol, which is found in antifreeze. It is harmless when taken in as
Artificial Sweeteners: Friend or Foe? Artificial sweeteners are fake sugar substitutes that many people use to maintain their weight and diabetes. But, what many people do not understand is that artificial sweeteners are not all they are cracked up to be. It is a proven fact that people who consume diet coke on a regular basis will be fatter one year from the time they began drinking them. Many artificial sugars are in the everyday items that people eat/drink including soda, chewing gum, energy
from the short edge of the sheet was drawn with a pencil. Then using a centimeter ruler four small marks were measured at 1 cm intervals along the line on the short part of the silica gel plate. Then the amino acid solutions; glycine, alanine, phenylalanine and the unknown 936, were spotted from left to right on the marks made. After the spots were dried it was placed inside the chromatography jar. When the solvent had moved within 1- 2 cm from the top of the silica gel plate, it was removed and the
Artificial sweeteners are fake sugar substitutes that many people use to maintain their weight and diabetes. But, what many people do not understand is that some specific artificial sweeteners are not all they are cracked up to be. According to who consume diet coke, which contains aspartame, on a regular basis will be fatter one year from the time they began drinking diet coke. Many artificial sugars are in the everyday items that people eat/drink including soda, chewing gum, energy drinks, granola
Explain the biochemistry behind the Citrate Utilization test – how does it work? 1) Describe the Kirby – Bauer test. What are bactericidal vs bacteriostatic, zone of inhibition, MIC, resistance breakpoint vs susceptibility breakpoint? The Kirby-Bauer test uses antibiotic-containing disks to test whether a specific bacterium is susceptible or resistant to specific antibiotics. Bactericidal are drugs that kill the organism. Bacteriostatic are drugs that stops the bacteria from diverging, but it does
‘Virtually all functions in life are controlled by neurotransmitters.’ Neurotransmission are the body’s regular chemical messengers which transfer data from one neuron to another. Thus, they are unquestionably one of the building blocks of behaviour. Neurotransmitters are potent chemicals that adjust various physical and responsive processes such as psychological performance, emotional conditions and agony reaction. Thence, relations between neurotransmitters and the brain chemicals have an unfathomable
increase in lung cancer. The term “natural” just means the products are derived from foods found in nature. Therefore, natural flavors could be any substance in the world. Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that is made of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame may be tricking the mind into weight gain. The low-calorie sweetener makes
is also found in Diet Coke and other diet sodas. Aspartame is a neurotoxin, i.e., a drug that destroys the brain and nervous system. The molecule has three components: aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. Has been shown that aspartic acid causes brain lesions in animal experiments. The existing phenylalanine in aspartame is neurotoxic when isolated from other amino acids in proteins. Facilitates the occurrence of seizures and blocks the production of serotonin, which is one of the substances