ملخص البحث :

Aspartame is the methyl-ester of the aspartate-phenylalanine dipeptide. Over time, it has become a very popular artificial sweetener. However, since its approval by the main food safety agencies, several concerns have been raised related to neuropsychiatric effects and neurotoxicity due to its ability to activate glutamate receptors, as well as carcinogenic risks due to the increased production of reactive oxygen species. Within this review, we critically evaluate reports concerning the safety of aspartame. Some studies evidenced subtle mood and behavioral changes upon daily high-dose intake below the admitted limit. Epidemiology studies also evidenced associations between daily aspartame intake and a higher predisposition for malignant diseases, like non-Hodgkin lymphomas and multiple myelomas, particularly in males, but an association by chance still could not be excluded. While the debate over the carcinogenic risk of aspartame is ongoing, it is clear that its use may pose some dangers in peculiar cases, such as patients with seizures or other neurological diseases; it should be totally forbidden for patients with phenylketonuria, and reduced doses or complete avoidance are advisable during pregnancy. It would be also highly desirable for every product containing aspartame to clearly indicate on the label the exact amount of the substance and some risk warnings

ملخص البحث :

Within the last 40 years, aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanyl-methylester) became a very popular artificial sweetener, being introduced in over 6000 food products worldwide, including solid foods, beverages, and drugs for oral administration. However, its safety and toxicity have been subject of concern since its discovery, due to potentially harmful effects of its intestinal decomposition products: aspartate, phenylalanine, and methanol. Neuropsychological effects have been reported occasionally, such as headache, blurred vision, insomnia, torpor, memory loss, nausea, speech impairment, personality changes, loss of energy, hyperactivity, hearing problems. Our aim in the present study was to determine the effects of aspartame at various concentrations on the viability of cells transiently transfected with the combination of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDAR) ionotropic glutamate receptor subunits NR1+ NR2b, as well as to prove direct activation of NMDAR currents by aspartame via whole-cell patch-clamp experiments. CHO-K1 cells transfected with NR1+ NR2b via plasmid constructs containing the two genes fused with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) gene were exposed for 2-4 h to aspartame in progressive decimal dilutions (0.1 µM to 10 mM) and assessed by flow cytometry after propidium iodide (PI) staining, showing increased percentages of dead cells (PI+) at aspartame concentrations of 1 µM or higher, while nontransfected cells featured increased PI+ percentages at aspartame concentrations above 1 mM. We also showed in HEK293T cells transfected by electroporation with the same plasmid combination (NR1+ NR2b