Effects of aspartame on Bufo marinus (toad) gastrocnemius muscle fatigue time and contraction force

• Main Author: Bioco, Julie Fil Charmaine N.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2015
• Subjects: Aspartame; Phenylalanine; Bufo marinus; Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/2749
• Institution: De La Salle University

Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener in dry goods and beverages. It is comprised of methanol and two amino acids of aspartate and phenylalanine. It is 100-200 times sweeter in taste when compared to sugar. Aspartame was known to cause negative and positive effects on muscle. The gastrocnemius muscle was used such that is a widely used model for vertebrate muscle physiology. This study was about the effect of aspartame on force of contraction and fatigability on the gastrocnemius muscle of toad. Only aspartame and gastroncemius muscle of toad was used in the experiment and the parameters studied were only about muscle contraction intensity and fatigability. The main data-gathering tool used was a Power Lab setup. Sixteen mature toads were used to measure effects at different concentrations of 5g/100ml, 2.5g/100ml, 1.25g/100ml, and 0.625g/100ml. Aspartame was dissolved in Ringers solution, which also served as the control of the experiment. The gastrocnemius muscle was dissected and isolated by first double pithing the toad to expose the muscle. The said muscle was then suspended with the control and treatment at different concentrations and was later on tested with the use of Power Lab setup. Amount of aspartame administered to the muscle is not determined since medicine dropper was only used for direct topical administration. The main statistical tool used was One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to detect significant differences among treatments at P < 0.05. Results showed otherwise when tested with ANOVA for the reason that factors such as maximum force, mean force, and time to fatigue gave results of P that is greater than 0.05. An interpretation from the raw data would contribute to this fact such that negative results were balanced out by positive results. It can be concluded that the effect of aspartame is neither beneficial nor detrimental due to the balancing out of researches on its positive and negative effects. Exposure only of the muscle to aspartame may have also contributed to the result that is why it is recommended that administration of aspartame would be through ingestion and the use of a different muscle may also be done.