c
 




a

 

c

 
 
’
  

‡ MSG was first identified as a flavour enhancer
in 1907 by ¦   of Tokyo
University, Japan.
‡ He started experimental work on ½

Seaweed (
 
).
‡ He succeeded in extracting crystals of
Glutamic Acid, 100 grams of Kombu Seaweed
containing around 1 gram of Glutamate.
‡ He noted that the Glutamate had a distinctive
taste, different from Sweet, Sour, Bitter and
Salty, he gave this taste the name ÿÿ,
which mean delicious.
‡ His discovery led to MSG becoming the first
  to be used commercially.
 ] 

‡ Glutamate is a natural part of protein containing
foods such as meat, vegetables, poultry and milk.
‡ There are two forms of glutamate. Glutamate exists
in the "bound" form as a part of protein, along with
other amino acids. It can also be found in the "free"
form in plant and animal tissues.
‡ Foods which contain high levels of free glutamate,
such as parmesan cheese, ripe tomatoes and
mushrooms , are often chosen for their distinctive
and enjoyable flavors.
 ]
 

‡ Glutamate is important in natural and

traditional ripening processes that allow the
fullness of taste in food to be achieved.
‡ As a tomato ripens, the natural content of
glutamate increases and the tomato becomes
more tasty.
]
 
 ]
 
‡ The ocurance of glutamate beside in food also
occur in our body as a natural part of our
metabolism and is actually produced by the human
body in amounts of about 50 grams per day.
‡ Almost 2 kilograms of naturally occurring glutamate
is found in muscles, the brain, the kidneys, the liver
and other organs and tissues. These organs also
contain smaller amounts of free glutamate.

In addition, glutamate is
found in mothers¶ milk at
much higher levels than in
cows¶ milk.
 Õ   

‡ c




Õ5H8NNaO4‡ H2O, MW: 187.13) (IUPAÕ names: 2-
aminopentanedioic acid, 2-aminoglutaric acid, 1-
aminopropane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid), commonly
known as c, è 
 Œ‰  Ñ or Î
, is a
sodium salt of glutamic acid.
‡ Õhemically, glutamic acid has two acid groups. In
MSG, however, only one of those is neutralized with
sodium.
‡ Two "optical isomers" exist, a dextro and a levo
(right and left light-rotating), but it is the levo only
(L-glutamate) that exists in nature and is used as a
flavor enhancer.
 

 

‡ It is typically marketed as a white crystalline

powder and is readily soluble in water but
sparingly soluble in ethanol.
‡ MSG does not decompose during normal food
processing or cooking but in acidic conditions
(pH 2.2-2.4) and at high temperatures it is
partially dehydrated and converted into 5-
pyrrolidone-2-carboxylate
c

 
 

‡ Monosodium glutamate can generally be
produced by three methods:
(1)hydrolysis of proteins such as gluten or
proteins present in sugar beet wastes,
(2)synthesis, and
(3)microbial fermentation.
 c
 !""c


‡ In the hydrolysis method:

1. The protein is hydrolyzed with a strong mineral
acid to free amino acids
2. The glutamic acid is then separated from the
mixture, purified, and converted to its
monosodium salt [monosodium glutamate].

‡ Hydrolysis is the most economical process for

the production of both (
    (

     
   

 
‡ This used to be the major method of
monosodium glutamate manufacture.
 c
 #  



‡ Õurrently most of the world production of MSG

is by bacterial fermentation.
‡ In this method bacteria (especially strains of
c   
) are grown aerobically
in a liquid nutrient medium containing a #
 (e.g., dextrose or citrate), a 
 
 such as ammonium ions or urea, and
 and $

.
‡ During this process, glutamic acid is excreted
from the bacteria into the fermented broth. The
broth is filtered and the glutamic acid
precipitated as monosodium glutamate
crystals, which are dried before packing.
 c
 #  



‡ It is essential to the outcome of the

fermentation process to maintain a clean and
sterile fermentation tank.
‡ Furthermore, it is important to maintain the
tank under positive pressure by aeration during
fermentation to prevent contamination by other
microorganisms and external materials.
 c
 #  



‡ The purpose of the isolation process is to

obtain crude L-Gln with adequate purity from
the fermentation broth.

Flow diagram of the isolation process

 

 


‡ The amount of glutamate used in foods is
usually within the range of 0.1% and 0.8 % of
the food as it is served.
‡ The taste of MSG is self-limiting. In fact, adding
too much MSG can result in a worse taste.
‡ Optimum level of MSG in a clear soup is 0.3%
and the optimum level with fried rice is 0.37%:
 a



‡ MSG makes the food taste better because
glutamate is neurotransmitter, which is a
chemical that excites the brain.
‡ It stimulates the appetite, when MSG was
introduced commercially in the early 1960, it
was added to baby food and formula to help
babies eat more and gain weight.
‡ Glutamate can also contribute to our overall
health. MSG contains about one third of the
amount of sodium of table salt. By using a
small amount of MSG and a low level of salt,
an acceptable flavor profile can be maintained,
while sodium content can be reduced by as
much as 30%.
 ’
’Õ]Õ



 


‡ Because symptoms rooting from MSG use are so

common, the MSG symptom complex, which some
may know as the "Õ    
X
‡ In 1992, the FDA sponsored an independent group
of scientists known as the Federation of American
Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) who
completed a comprehensive review of all available
scientific research pertaining to the safety of MSG.
The 1995 FASEB report indicated that consuming
MSG at typical levels by the general population
posed no long-term health risks. However, the
FASEB report did recognize short-term reactions to
MSG. These reactions are known as MSG Symptom
Õomplex
  c"%
 % &
may include:
‡ nausea,
‡ rapid heartbeat,
‡ cause facial pressure or tightness,
‡ drowsiness,
‡ headaches,
‡ palpitations,
‡ flushing,
‡ sweating,
‡ sour stomach,
‡ weakness,
‡ numbness,
‡ burning or tingling around the mouth, and
‡ chest pain.
 ! 
  
© 
‡ MSG-sensitivity is a term used by people who react
adversely to MSG and/or any other ingredient that
contains processed free glutamic acid (MSG).
‡ As used here, an "   
" is an unpleasant
reaction that can be seen or felt by the affected
person.
‡ MSG can cause severe bronchospasm (difficulty
breathing) in MSG-intolerant people with asthma
‡ Other studies show that MSG can cause damage to
brain cells and the central nervous system. Some
studies suggest it has direct correlations with
Alzheimer's disease.
‡ In rare instances, some individuals can be so sensitive
to MSG that they may have trouble speaking and could
become temporarily paralyzed around the mouth.
 ! 
  
 
‡ Monosodium glutamate belongs to a class of
chemicals called   .
‡ Excitotoxins are substances believed to cause brain
damage and damage to the central nervous system.
‡ Excitotoxicity can occur from substances produced
within the body (   &

&).
‡ Glutamate is also major excitatory neurotransmitter in
the mammalian ÕNS (central nervous system).
‡ Excitotoxins tend to affect the hypothalamus portion of
the brain, which controls important bodily functions
such as growth, sleep patterns, puberty and even
appetite.
‡ MSG inhibits the normal function of the hypothalamus,
which can cause long-term negative effects such as
obesity, sleep disturbances and reproductive issues.
 ! 
   &

&

‡ Neurotransmitters are chemicals that act as

messengers between cells in the brain and
nervous system.

‡Too much of a
neurotransmitter makes it
excitotoxic. The receptors over-
activate. Ultimately the nerve
cannot keep up and 
 
(apoptosis) or triggers a nearby
cell to  
(phagocytosis).

‡Excitotoxicity also causes high

levels of calcium (Õa2+ ions) to
enter cells, in turn activating a
variety of enzymes which
proceed to damage cell
structures including DNA
 



 







 



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