Glutamine

Figure 1: The Glutamine Amino Acid¹



Glutamine has been studied extensively over the past 10-15 years and has been shown to be useful in treatment of serious illness, injury, trauma, burns, and wound healing for postoperative patients.¹ Glutamine is also marketed as a supplement used for muscle growth in weightlifting and bodybuilding.² Glutamine is the most abundant naturally occurring, non-essential amino acid in the human body and one of the few amino acids that directly cross the blood-brain barrier. In the body, it is found circulating in the blood as well as stored in the skeletal muscles.¹

Dietary sources of Glutamine include beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, wheat, dairy products, cabbage, beets, beans, spinach, vegetable juices, and fermented foods (tofu). ² Glutamine is synthesized by the enzyme glutamine synthetase from glutamate and ammonia. The most relevant glutamine-producing tissue is the muscle mass, accounting for about 90% of all glutamine synthesized.³

The alpha-carboxylic acid functional group of glutamine has a pK_a value of 2.13 and the alpha-amino group has a pK_a value of 9.13. Glutamine also contains a side chain, H₂NC=OCH₂CH₂.⁴ Glutamine, symbolized as Gln or Q, has a molecular formula of C₅H₁₀N₂O₃. The molecular weight is 146.15 g/mol, and the isoelectric point is at 5.65 pH.⁵

Glucagon is a polypeptide containing Glutamine within the compound. The body building formula sold to increase muscle size is usually made up of Glutamine peptides. The ideal product to have for body building would contain Glutamine peptides and glutamine in the free form. Glutamine peptides are more stable and better assimilated by the body.²

Figure 2: Glucagon (plypeptide containing Glutamine)⁶

References:

1.      Lefers, Mark; Glutamine; 2004; [Web] http://groups.molbiosci.northwestern.edu/holmgren/Glossary/Definitions/Def-G/Glutamine.html; Accessed March 23, 2011

2.      BodyBuilding.com; Glutamine; [Web] http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/glutamine.html; Accessed March 23, 2011

3.      Glutamine; 2011; [Web] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamine; Accessed March 23, 2011

4.      Parrill, Abby; Amino Acid Structures; 1997 [Web] http://www.cem.msu.edu/~cem252/sp97/ch24/ch24aa.html; Accessed March 23, 2011

5.      Burkhard, Kirste; Glutamine; 1998; [Web] http://www.chemie.fu-berlin.de/chemistry/bio/aminoacid/glutamin_en.html; Accessed March 23, 2010

6.      Glucagon; 2008; [Web] http://www.lookchem.com/cas-107/107444-51-9.html; Accessed March 23, 2011