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Evaluation of a novel food composition database that includes glutamine and other amino acids derived from gene sequencing data

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 1433–1439 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives:

To determine the content of glutamine in major food proteins.

Subjects/Methods:

We used a validated 131-food item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to identify the foods that contributed the most to protein intake among 70 356 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, 1984). The content of glutamine and other amino acids in foods was calculated based on protein fractions generated from gene sequencing methods (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics) and compared with data from conventional (USDA) and modified biochemical (Khun) methods. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to compare the participants’ dietary intakes of amino acids by sequencing and USDA methods.

Results:

The glutamine content varied from 0.01 to to 9.49 g/100 g of food and contributed from 1 to to 33% of total protein for all FFQ foods with protein. When comparing the sequencing and Kuhn's methods, the proportion of glutamine in meat was 4.8 vs 4.4%. Among NHS participants, mean glutamine intake was 6.84 (s.d.=2.19) g/day and correlation coefficients for amino acid between intakes assessed by sequencing and USDA methods ranged from 0.94 to 0.99 for absolute intake, −0.08 to 0.90 after adjusting for 100 g of protein, and 0.88 to 0.99 after adjusting for 1000 kcal. The between-person coefficient of variation of energy-adjusted intake of glutamine was 16%.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that (1) glutamine content can be estimated from gene sequencing methods and (2) there is a reasonably wide variation in energy-adjusted glutamine intake, allowing for exploration of glutamine consumption and disease.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to the Nurses continuous participation in the Nurses’ Health study. We particularly thank the Swiss Institute of Technology for providing free access to their Web site, the Ross laboratory for teaching CL how to navigate on the Expasy Web site, and Martin Van Denburgh for programming support. Supported by 5T32DK007703-07 and K23 DK082732.

Author information

Author notes

  1. C M Lenders

    Present address: 4Current address: Pediatric Nutrition Support Services, Boston Medical Center–Vose Hall 3–Room 307, 88, East Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA.,

  2. S Liu

    Present address: 5Current address: Department of Epidemiology and Medicine, UCLA CHS 73-265 Box 951772, 650 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA.,

  3. D W Wilmore

    Present address: 6Current address: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,

  4. L Sampson

    Present address: 7Current address: Harvard School of Public Health, Bldg 2, Rm 315, Nutrition, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,

  5. L W Dougherty

    Present address: 8Current address: Harvard School of Public Health-Nutrition, Bldg. 2, Room 311, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,

  6. D Spiegelman

    Present address: 9Current address: Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,

  7. W C Willett

    Present address: 10Current address: Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    C M Lenders, S Liu, L Sampson, L W Dougherty, D Spiegelman & W C Willett

  2. Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    C M Lenders

  3. Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    C M Lenders & D W Wilmore

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  1. C M Lenders
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Correspondence to C M Lenders.

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Lenders, C., Liu, S., Wilmore, D. et al. Evaluation of a novel food composition database that includes glutamine and other amino acids derived from gene sequencing data. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 1433–1439 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.110

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2009.110

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