In 1998, the Calorie Control Council estimated that 144 million American adults regularly consume low-calorie, sugar-free products.

1
Introduction
Source ltwww.ameribev.orggt

• In 1998, the Calorie Control Council estimated
  that 144 million American adults regularly
  consume low-calorie, sugar-free products.
• To date the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  have approved five sugar substitutes, one of them
  being aspartame.

Cephalic Phase Response
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• Giduck (1987) found that oropharyngeal -
  stimulated responses are reliably initiated by
  the taste and smell of food.
• Nicolaidis (2003) suggests that cephalic
  responses play an important role in the
  regulation of both digestive and metabolic
  processes and act to optimize the utilization of
  the ingested nutrients.

Literature Review
Sourcelt www.wormatlas.orggt

• Ashrafi (2007) and Rankin (2005) found that due
  to the chemo sensitivity and cephalic response
  system in C. elegans, they are an ideal organism
  for the study of energy balance (fat deposition).

Purpose
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• The purpose of this study, is to determine the
  effects of aspartame consumption on fat
  deposition in C. elegans as a potential
  indication of aspartame activation of the
  cephalic response.

Hypotheses

• Hypothesis 1 The starved (lean) C. elegans
  will demonstrate no difference in fat deposition
  between groups.
• Hypothesis 2 Supplementation of aspartame will
  lead to an increase in fat deposition due to a
  cephalic response.

2
Discussion I

• An early limitation of the study included a
  non-sterile laboratory environment.
  Contamination of C. elegans cultures created a
  food source from which the worms would feed,
  essentially prolonging their lifespan.
• Additionally, there was an inability to precisely
  record the absorption of the glucose and the
  aspartame by the C. elegans.

Discussion II

• The mean fat deposition of each group reflects
  the starved worms compensating for negligible
  calories by storing more fat.
• The glucose supplemented worms deposited fat by
  consuming excess calories from
• the glucose.
• The aspartame supplemented worms deposited the
  least amount of fat since aspartame is not a
  source of energy which the C. elegans could feed
  off of.
• The one-way ANOVA followed by a Sheffe Post Hoc
  (plt.05) revealed a significant difference between
  the control and glucose supplemented groups and
  the glucose and aspartame supplemented groups. No
  significant differences were found between the
  control and glucose supplemented groups.

Conclusion

• This study rejects hypothesis 1 due to
  differences in fat deposition found between the
  C. elegans groups as previously mentioned.
• This study also rejects hypothesis 2 since
  supplementation of aspartame does not lead to
  increased fat deposition. It is believed that
  this may be due to a lack of available energy
  sources in the aspartame group.

Future Studies

• Possible future studies could include
• ?Incorporating the no-calorie sweetener
  Sucralose (Splenda) into future trials and
  observing subsequent fat deposition.
• ?Training C. elegans in an aspartame feeding
  environment and transferring them into a glucose
  feeding environment to measure fat deposition.

Bibliography

• Abegaz, Eyassu G. "Aspartame Not Linked to
  Cancer." The Free Library. 2007. Aginomoto
  Corporate .ltwww.thefreelibrary.comgt.
• "Artificial Sweeteners No Calories ... Sweet!"
  FDA Consumer Magazine July-Aug. 2006.
  ltwww.fda.govgt.
• "Artificial Sweetener." The Columbia
  Encyclopedia. 2001. Columbia UP.
  ltwww.bartleby.comgt.
• Ashrafi, Kaveh. "Obesity and the Regulation of
  Fat Metabolism." Worm Book - the Online Review of
  C. elegans Biology. 9 Mar. 2007.
  ltwww.wormbook.orggt.
• Aspartame Information Center. 2006. Calorie
  Control Council. ltwww.aspartame.orggt.
• Blundell, JE. "Paradoxical Effects of an Intense
  Sweetener (Aspartame) on Appetite." Pub Med 1
  (1986) 1092-1093.
• Denoon, Daniel J. "Study Links Aspartame to
  Cancer." CBS News. 2005. WebMD.
  ltwww.cbsnews.orggt.
• Fushiki, Tohru. "Chemical Reception of Fats in
  the Oral Cavity and the Mechanism of Addiction to
  Dietary Fat." Chemical Senses 30 (2005) 184-185.
• Giduck, Sharon A. "Cephalic Reflexes Their Role
  in Digestion and Their Possible Roles in
  Absorption and Metabolism." Journal of Nutrition
  117 (1987) 1191-1196.
• Gold, Mark D. "The Bitter Truth About Artificial
  Sweeteners." Nexus Magazine 1995.
  ltwww.nexusmagazine.comgt.