Aspartame Consumption in Normal Individuals and Carriers for Phenylketonuria

Matalon, Reuben; Michals, K.; Sullivan, Debra K.; Wideroff, Louise; Levy, Paul

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-9821-3_4

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…In contrast, patients with PKU according to the quality of their dietary treatment clearly show differences from controls. Also, there was no evidence from our study that an additional aspartame load of 45 mg/kg in PKUH resulted in urine aromatic acids derived from phe and tyrosine that approached levels found in the classic untreated PKU (Matalon et al 1988). In our study no difference between aromatic acid excretion in urine following placebo and aspartame was found.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

“…This potential competitive advantage for phe to enter the brain following aspartame consumption has been suggested to affect brain function, i.e., behavior, cognition, and the EEG, by altering brain neurotransmitter concentrations (Elsas et al 1988). Matalon et al (1988) claimed that PKUH receiving high doses of aspartame (100 mg/kg of body weight per day) may have plasma phe levels and urinary metabolites in the same Aspartame is currently being consumed by over 200 million consumers worldwide, approximately 2% of whom are PKUH. This prompted us to conduct our study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high dose aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine)

et al. 1994

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Aspartame, a high intensity sweetener, is used extensively worldwide in over 5,000 products. Upon ingestion, aspartame is completely metabolized to two amino acids and methanol (approximately 50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid, and 10% methanol). The effects of aspartame on cognitive function, electroencephalograms (EEGs) and biochemical parameters were evaluated in 48 adult (21 men, 27 women) heterozygotes for phenylketonuria (PKUH), PKUH subjects whose carrier status had been proven by DNA analysis ingested aspartame (either 15 or 45 mg/kg/day) and placebo for 12 weeks on each treatment using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A computerized battery of neuropsychological tests was administered at baseline weeks -2 and -1, and during treatment at weeks 6, 12, 18, and 24. Samples for plasma amino acids and urinary organic acids were also collected during these visits. EEGs were evaluated by conventional and spectral analysis at baseline week -1 and treatment weeks 12 and 24. The results of the neuropsychological tests demonstrated that aspartame had no effect on cognitive function. Plasma phenylalanine significantly increased, within the normal range for PKUH, at 1 and 3 h following the morning dose of aspartame in the group receiving the 45 mg/kg per day dose only. There were no significant differences in the conventional or spectral EEG analyses, urinary organic acid concentrations, and adverse experiences when aspartame was compared with placebo. This study reaffirms the safety of aspartame in PKUH and refutes the speculation that aspartame affects cognitive performance, EEGs, and urinary organic acids.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high dose aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine)

et al. 1994

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“…This enhanced biological stability of FC-APM and FCaMe-APM may make these compounds attractive as alternatives to APM in certain applications. One such possibility is as an artificial sweetener for phenylketonuriacs, those heterozygous for phenylketonuria and other individuals susceptible to symptoms due to ingestion of APM (Novick, 1985;Pardridge, 1986), in whom the hydrolysis of APM can cause increased plasma levels of Phe which may then have deleterious effects (Caballero et al, 1986;Matalón et al, 1988;Stegink et al, 1988). ABBREVIATIONS USED APM, aspartame; C-APM, N-carbamoyl aspartame; F-APM, /V-formylaspartame; FC-APM, N-formylcarbamoylaspartame; aMe-APM, aMe-aspartame; CaMe-APM, Ñ-carbamoyl aMe-aspartame; FCaMe-APM, TV-formylcarbamoyl-aMe-aspartame.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability of N-Derivatized and .alpha.-Methyl Analogs of Aspartame to Hydrolysis by Mammalian Cell-Surface Peptidases

Hooper¹,

Hesp²,

Tieku³

et al. 1994

J. Agric. Food Chem.

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Oral aspartame and plasma phenylalanine: pharmacokinetic difference between rodents and man, and relevance to CNS effects of phenylalanine

Fernstrom

1989

J. Neural Transmission

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The ingestion of aspartame, a phenylalanine-containing dipeptide, raises plasma phenylalanine levels. These increments are much greater in humans than rats, because the rat hydroxylates phenylalanine five times faster than man. Accordingly, dose comparisons of aspartame (or phenylalanine) between humans and rats have usually been corrected by a factor of five. Recently, a correction factor of sixty has been proposed (Wurtman and Maher, 1987); the rationale is based on a novel calculation of competitive phenylalanine transport into brain. An analysis of the logic behind this postulation reveals there to be no basis for accepting the higher dose conversion of 60 between rat and man.

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Aspartame Consumption in Normal Individuals and Carriers for Phenylketonuria

Cited by 4 publications

References 24 publications

Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high dose aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine)

Neuropsychological and biochemical investigations in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria during ingestion of high dose aspartame (a sweetener containing phenylalanine)

Stability of N-Derivatized and .alpha.-Methyl Analogs of Aspartame to Hydrolysis by Mammalian Cell-Surface Peptidases

Oral aspartame and plasma phenylalanine: pharmacokinetic difference between rodents and man, and relevance to CNS effects of phenylalanine

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