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The Sweetness of Aspartame: A Biochemistry Lab for Health Science Chemistry Courses

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Paul J. Stein

College of Scholastica, Department of Chemistry, 1200 Kenwood Ave., Duluth, MN 55811-4199

J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74 (9), p 1112

DOI: 10.1021/ed074p1112

Publication Date (Web): September 1, 1997

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

A laboratory exercise for Health Science Biochemistry students to study the effect of aspartame concentration on sweetness has been developed. The concentration dependence of the absorbance of aspartame at 257 nm is also studied. Data from all members of the class are averaged and plotted on the same graph as absorbance and taste rating vs. [aspartame]. The absorbance plot follows Beer's law while the taste rating plot displays the typical hyperbolic response of protein-ligand binding plots. This laboratory exercise illustrates the concept of binding saturation to students.

Keywords (Audience):

Second-Year Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Laboratory Instruction

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Food Science

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This article has been cited by 2 ACS Journal articles (2 most recent appear below).

Decomposition of Aspartame. A Kinetics Experiment for Upper-Level Chemistry Laboratories
Kathryn R. Williams , Bhavin Adhyaru , Julia Timofeev and Michael Keith Blankenship
Journal of Chemical Education2005 82 (6), 924
- Decomposition of Aspartame. A Kinetics Experiment for Upper-Level Chemistry Laboratories
  Kathryn R. Williams , Bhavin Adhyaru , Julia Timofeev and Michael Keith Blankenship
  Journal of Chemical Education2005 82 (6), 924
  In this experiment, students study the kinetics of decomposition of aspartame for three reaction conditions: 0.20 M citrate, pH 7.0, 40 °C; 0.20 M phosphate, pH 7.0, 40 °C; 0.20 M phosphate, pH 7.0, 55 °C. They calculate the activation energy and observe ...
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links
Suggestions To Expand the Laboratory Project 'The Sweetness of Aspartame'
Todd P. Silverstein
Journal of Chemical Education2004 81 (2), 197
- Suggestions To Expand the Laboratory Project 'The Sweetness of Aspartame'
  Todd P. Silverstein
  Journal of Chemical Education2004 81 (2), 197
  The author has expanded an earlier published project to include an aspartame standard curve, Beer's law calculations, and non-linear curve-fitting of a hyperbolic saturation curve.
  Abstract | Hi-Res PDF | PDF w/ Links