Metabolism of aspartame in monkeys
Oppermann, J.A.; Muldoon, E.; Ranney, R.E.
Journal of Nutrition 103(10): 1454-1459
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3166 PMID: 4200872 Document Number: 69584
Aspartame (SC-18862, 3-amino-N-( alpha -carboxyphenethyl) succinamic acid, methyl ester; the methyl ester of aspartyl-phenylalanine) is a sweetening agent that has organoleptically about 180 times the sweetness of sugar. Because it so closely resembles naturally occurring dipeptides, it was believed that it would be digested in a similar manner. To show this, the metabolism of aspartame-14C labelled separately in the methyl, aspartyl and phenylalanine moieties was compared with the metabolism of methanol-14C, aspartic acid-14C and phenylalanine-14C in young female rhesus monkeys. The metabolism of each moiety of aspartame was the same as that of its free counterpart. Measured were: conversion to 14CO2, incorporation of 14C into plasma proteins and excretion of the label in urine and faeces. It was concluded that aspartame was digested to its 3 constituents that were then absorbed as natural constituents of the diet.