Chapter 25, Problem 25.40AP

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

Reason for diet soft drinks that are sweetened with aspartame carry a warning for phenylketonuria has to be identified.

Concept introduction:

• The disease that prevents this biosynthesis is phenylketonuria (PKU). It is the failure to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine. Thus tyrosine is an essential amino acid for those who have phenylketonuria.
• Symptoms include elevated blood-serum and urine concentrations of phenylalanine, phenyl pyruvate and divert the metabolism in different pathway.