1. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 1 Introduction to Glyconutritionals Bill H. McAnalley, Ph.D. and Eileen Vennum, RAC

2. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 2 Science and medicine have long tried to break the biocode by which the cells of the body communicate with one another.

3. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 3 The four major classes of biomolecules are proteins, nucleic acids, lipids (fats) and carbohydrates. For many years, scientists focused on proteins as the primary communication molecules.

4. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 4 In the 1960s, research first began to appear on glycoproteins*, protein molecules bound with carbohydrate molecules. *“Glyco” means “sweet” and refers to sugars, or carbohydrates.

5. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 5 Glycoprotein molecules coat the surface of every cell with a nucleus in the human body.

6. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 6 Glycolipids, carbohydrate molecules bound with lipid (fat) molecules, are another kind of glycoform, or glycoconjugate, found on cell surfaces

7. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 7 We now know that nature uses the carbohydrates on cell surface glycoconjugates as communication molecules.

8. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 8 Scientists have identified eight sugars found on human cell surface glycoforms that are involved in cellular recognition processes.* * Murray RK. Glycoproteins. In Murray RK, et al. (eds): Harper’s Biochemistry. Stamford, Appleton and Lange; 2000:677.

9. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 9 Just as four different shapes can be combined to make many letters, the different carbohydrate molecules combine within our bodies to make many cellular recognition “words”.

10. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 10

11. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 11 The significance of these sugar components of glycoproteins is well illustrated by the different blood types.

12. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 12 What raw materials does the body use to build the sugars to make glycoforms? The plants in our diet are the primary building blocks for the sugar portion of these molecules.

13. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 13 Enzymes are the tools the body uses to build the “glyco” portion of glycoforms. Figure E illustrates the enzymes needed to convert one form of sugar to another in the body.

14. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 14 The conversion process requires time and energy.

15. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 15 The effectiveness of the enzymatic conversion system to create the needed sugar molecules is not absolute. Some individuals have inborn errors of metabolism. The conversion process also requires specific vitamins at certain steps, and these vitamins may be missing.

16. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 16 Until now, the fields of glycobiology and nutrition have never been adequately investigated together.

17. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 17 Although current nutrition textbooks stress the importance of essential vitamins, minerals, proteins (amino acids) and fats in great detail, sugars are currently recognized only as a source of energy.

18. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 18 Of the required eight sugars named in Harper’s Biochemistry, only glucose and galactose are addressed in the classic nutrition texts.

19. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 19 Glyconutritionals are dietary supplements designed to provide substrates for the body to use in building the “glyco” portion of glycoconjugates on cell surfaces. Glyconutritionals are designed to make the necessary sugars available to cells quicker and in greater quantity.

20. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 20 A November 1998 review concluded that disorders in glycosylation are much more common than originally thought. The author stated: “There is scant information on the availability of mannose in food, but dietary mannose is probably insufficient to supply all glycosylation.* *Freeze HH. Disorders in protein glycosylation and potential therapy: tip of an iceberg? J.Pediatr. 1998;133:593-600

21. McAnalley B.H. and Vennum E. Introduction to Glyconutritionals (Abridged). GlycoScience & Nutrition 2000; 1(1) 1-5. 21 We have only just begun to understand the biochemical story written in the sweet language of life, but what an exciting language to learn!