aspartate or aspartic acid (Asp or D)


 Term: aspartic acid  (Asp or D) or L-Aspartate
Literally meaning: “pertaining to asparagine”
Origin: Anc Greek
ελλ σπάραγος (plant)/asparagos(asparagus) >σπαργάω(=vigor)
Coined/History 
Asparagine was isolated in 1806 by French chemist   Louis Nicolas Vaquelin (1763-1829)  and named by French chemist Pierre Jean  Robiquet(1785-1838) because it was isolated by asparagus juice.  The name of aspartic acid was subsequently given in 1927 by Plisson to the acid obtained heating asparagine with lead hydroxide (base).
Definition
Aspartic acid is a non essential aino acid. Salt, ester or carboxylate anion of aspartic acid is called aspartate. Aspartic acid plays an important role in Krebs cycle during which other amino acids are synthesized. Aspartic acid is used to treat fatigue as it moves the NADH molecule to mitochondria, where it used to generate ATP (energy). Aspartame (an artificial sweetener) is made by aspartic acid and phenylalanine. 

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