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Metabolism of Aspartame in Monkeys

Department of Biochemistry, Searle Laboratories, Division of G. D. Searle and Company, Box 5110, Chicago, Illinois 60680

Aspartame (SC-18862, 3-amino-N-(-carboxyphenethyl)succinamic acid, methyl ester; the methyl ester of aspartyl-phenylalanine) is a sweetening agent that organoleptically has 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 [¹⁴C]aspartame labeled separately in the methyl, aspartyl and phenylalanine moieties was compared with the metabolism of ¹⁴C-labeled methanol, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. The metabolism of each moiety of aspartame was found to be the same as its free counterpart. Parameters measured were: conversion to ¹⁴CO₂, incorporation of ¹⁴C into plasma proteins, and urinary and fecal excretion of the label. It was concluded that aspartame was digested to its three constituents that were then absorbed as natural constituents of the diet.

KEY WORDS: • aspartame • monkeys • metabolism • sweetener • dipeptide

Manuscript received 9 April 1973.