Who makes amino acids?
Amino acids are manufactured by specialized biotechnology, fermentation, chemical, and life-science ingredient companies. Ajinomoto is one well-known large-scale producer, and many commercially important amino acids are manufactured through microbial fermentation before purification and supply to food, supplement, pharmaceutical, and animal-nutrition manufacturers.
Answer
Amino-acid manufacturing occurs primarily at the ingredient level.
Specialized producers manufacture amino acids such as:
• L-glutamine
• L-arginine
• L-lysine
• glycine
• L-leucine
• L-isoleucine
• L-valine
• L-theanine and other amino-acid-related ingredients
The manufacturing method varies by amino acid.
➤ Fermentation
Microbial fermentation is widely used for commercial amino-acid production. Microorganisms are cultivated using nutrient sources such as carbohydrates, and their metabolic pathways convert the raw materials into the target amino acid. The resulting product is then separated, purified, concentrated, crystallized, and dried as required.
➤ Other production methods
Depending on the amino acid, manufacturers may also use:
▸ enzymatic conversion
▸ chemical synthesis
▸ protein hydrolysis or extraction
Ajinomoto describes fermentation as the primary method used for many food-grade amino acids and also manufactures amino acids used in pharmaceutical and supplement applications.
Finished supplement companies then formulate purified amino-acid ingredients into powders, tablets, capsules, liquids, and combination products.
AdvaCare Pharma manufactures amino-acid supplements across multiple dosage forms within the AdvaLife™ range.
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