The first amino acid to be isolated from its natural source was asparagine. The historical isolation of asparagine during the purification of asparagus juice occurred in 1806. The discovery was not immediately appreciated and the actual proof for the existence of this amino acid and its validation would not occur till the early 1930's when the need to identify each amino acid became apparent. Asparagine is a small bio-molecule and its nature and structure has recently been studied.
Animal sources of protein seem to contain the highest amounts of this common non-essential amino acid. Asparagine structurally is a beta-amide derivative of another amino acid, aspartic acid and is mostly not required in the diet. The body biochemically synthesizes asparagine from aspartic acid if dietary sources of this amino acid are lacking. Chemically, the amino acid asparagine is similar in structure to aspartic acid. There is a slight difference from aspartic acid in the nature of the unique coupling of ammonia on the acidic side chain of asparagine. The presence of this side chain permits the metabolism of toxic ammonia resulting from metabolic waste in the human body. The significance of this side - chain tends to decrease when asparagine is part of a protein connected by two peptide bonds.
Central nervous system balance is maintained by the presence of sufficient amounts of asparagine in the body. The presence of sufficient amounts of asparagine in the body prevents a person from suffering increased nervousness or too much sedation in daily life. In the liver, one important function of asparagine is in the promotion of the process by which certain amino acids are transformed into another form. Asparagine tends to be found in large amounts in meat and meat products. One of the most important functions that asparagine performs in the human body is to boost the liver's ability to transform one individual amino acid from one type to another type.
There are no appropriate diets for asparagine, as the amino acid is normally never deficient in the body. Being readily synthesized by the body and need not be taken in the diet - it is one of the non-essential amino acids in the human body. Dietary requirements for asparagine are best fulfilled by eating some dairy products, meats like beef and poultry, eggs, and protein supplements from time to time - there is no deficiency connected to this particular amino acid. The greatest source for this amino acid is to be found in mammalian protein sources. The amount of the amino acid asparagine normally found in protein based foods undergoes degradation during the preparation process of foods - during cooking, storage, or on the application of an acid based compound to the protein source.
There is limited information concerning the use of asparagine inside the human body and more of its metabolic roles need to be studied. Concerning physical and mental health, there are indications that the presence or absence of sufficient asparagine may be of medical significance in some cases.
Asparagine is important for certain specific processes affecting the central nervous system and the amino acid may be of significant use in the maintenance, proper functioning, and overall chemical balance in the tissues making up the human brain. Extreme mood swings seem to be mediated by the presence of asparagine and the amino acid seems to assists the body in the maintenance of mental equilibrium. The presence of asparagine guards the mental from being either too overly anxious or nervous, or being too calm or sedated to the external environment.
Asparagine is also used in the body for physical processes. This amino acid is responsible for major amino acid transformations and all connected biochemical processes occurring inside the liver. The activation of metabolic pathways during the conversion of asparagine back to aspartic acid is probably this agency of biochemical importance. This process generates and releases metabolic energy for the maintenance of such important processes in the human body. Asparagine is additionally one of the major chemical precursor and facilitator involved in the synthesis of RNA, DNA, and the energy compound called ATP. The other biochemical processes that involve asparagine include the performance and functioning of anti-bodies, the bio-chemical conversion of aspartate to maintain cellular functioning and activity, the assembly of collagen and enzymatic activity, as well as cell to cell recognition in important cellular communication pathways.
Asparagine is among the major amino acids transporting nitrogen to different body parts that is often found in abundance. In effect, this amino acid is a necessity for all cells of the body to make protein. Asparagine is an indispensible element of all proteins that are related to sending signals, development of the nerves as well as transmission throughout the nerve endings. Asparagine is necessary for the entire living cells to produce numerous proteins. While some cells can make asparagines internally, there are others that soak up this amino acid from outside, since it is provided through the diet one takes and is supplied to all the cells in all parts of our body by means of the bloodstream. L-asparagine is basically an amino acid that regulates the metabolism of the entire functioning of the cells present in the nerve as well as brain tissues. It is extremely active in transforming one form of amino acid into another (transamination and amination) when it may be necessary. In the liver, the role of asparagine mainly entails transforming one form of amino acid into another type.
The form of amino acid known as asparagine is useful in maintaining the central nervous system's balance and possesses remedial attributes. However, when used in large amounts, asparagine may prove to be toxic. This amino acid also plays an important role in the brain as well as the nervous system's metabolic regulation and has a number of remedial functions in these parts of the body. Asparagine is required in the cerebrospinal or central nervous system to sustain equilibrium, and also putting off extreme anxiety or being excessively calm. When asparagine is incorporated in a protein through two protein bonds, the comparatively non-reactive and nonaligned amide group present in asparagine's side chain does not present any particular attributes to this form of amino acid.
Glutamine and asparagine are both composed of ATP, and have the ability to give back the energy when they are again metabolized to glutamic acid and aspartic acid respectively. Vitamin B6 as well as enzymes are necessary for the formation of asparagine and glutamine. In the case of plants, asparagine is basically a revocable blend of aspartic acid and ammonia. This is vital for the metabolism of plants, as it helps them to conserve ammonia.
The possible dosage or intake levels of any of the non-essential amino acids has not been clinically determined as deficiencies rarely occur in the body for this class of amino acids. The clinical estimates made by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences is stated with a recommendation that the majority of healthy people might achieve 0.36 grams of highly bio-available protein for every pound of bodyweight during supplementation - this equals 0.8 grams of protein, per kilogram of bodyweight per person.
