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Metabolic fate and function of dietary glutamate in the gut^1,2,3,4,5

¹ From the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.

² Presented at the "100th Anniversary Symposium of Umami Discovery: The Roles of Glutamate in Taste, Gastrointestinal Function, Metabolism, and Physiology," held in Tokyo, Japan, September 10–13, 2008.

³ The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.

⁴ Supported in part by grants from the International Glutamate Technical Committee, a nongovernmental organization funded by industrial producers and users of glutamate in food, and the USDA, Agricultural Research Service under Cooperative Agreement Number 58-6250-6-001.

⁵ Address correspondence to DG Burrin, Children's Nutrition Research Center, 1100 Bates Street, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: dburrin{at}bcm.tmc.edu.

Glutamate is a main constituent of dietary protein and is also consumed in many prepared foods as an additive in the form of monosodium glutamate. Evidence from human and animal studies indicates that glutamate is a major oxidative fuel for the gut and that dietary glutamate is extensively metabolized in first pass by the intestine. Glutamate also is an important precursor for bioactive molecules, including glutathione, and functions as a key neurotransmitter. The dominant role of glutamate as an oxidative fuel may have therapeutic potential for improving function of the infant gut, which exhibits a high rate of epithelial cell turnover. Our recent studies in infant pigs show that when glutamate is fed at higher (4-fold) than normal dietary quantities, most glutamate molecules are either oxidized or metabolized by the mucosa into other nonessential amino acids. Glutamate is not considered to be a dietary essential, but recent studies suggest that the level of glutamate in the diet can affect the oxidation of some essential amino acids, namely leucine. Given that substantial oxidation of leucine occurs in the gut, ongoing studies are investigating whether dietary glutamate affects the oxidation of leucine in the intestinal epithelial cells. Our studies also suggest that at high dietary intakes, free glutamate may be absorbed by the stomach as well as the small intestine, thus implicating the gastric mucosa in the metabolism of dietary glutamate. Glutamate is a key excitatory amino acid, and metabolism and neural sensing of dietary glutamate in the developing gastric mucosa, which is poorly developed in premature infants, may play a functional role in gastric emptying. These and other recent reports raise the question as to the metabolic role of glutamate in gastric function. The physiologic significance of glutamate as an oxidative fuel and its potential role in gastric function during infancy are discussed.

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