Released Date: June 2006 Importance: Copyright by Guangzhou CCM Chemicals Co., Ltd. Suggest for reading instead of downloading. Any distribution or citation of this article for whatever use is forbidden. This summary is drafted on base of Overview of Food Grade & Pharmaceutical Grade Amino Acids in China that was finished in 2001 and is in highlight form. Only some facts or conclusion is listed. Some details information in regard to the manufacturers and statistics is not included in the present sample report. Please click here for the main content of the update report . Visitors are requested to Contact Us by email or directly to the below address for the update report. Thank you. Last update: June 2001 Main Content II. Current Situation of Amino Acid Production in China III. Production Methods & Research Field of Amino Acids in China - Alanine - Arginine - Aspartic Acid - Cysteine - Cystine - Glutamic Acid - Glycine - Histidine - Isoleucine - Leucine - Lysine - Methionine - Phenylalanine - Proline - Serine - Threonine - Tryptophan - Tyrosine - Valine Among the 200 kinds of amino acids in nature, only 22 of them can be used as constituent of protein. Four are essential to pig and chicken. These amino acids include methionine, lysine, tryptophan and threonine. While 10 of amino acids are essential to human being. They are methionine, tryptophan, threonine, phenylalanine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, valine, arginine and histudine. In China, the amino acid industry develops with the feed industry, food industry and pharmaceutical industry. The amino acid industry started from 1950s, after when the Chinese researcher began to do experiment on protein hydrolysis method, chemical synthesis method, fermentation method and enzyme method, step by step. In 1958, the Chinese people began the research on strain for glutamic acid, for the purpose to meet the demand from the food industry, to make monosodium glutamate as food additive. China carried out a large number of experiments on the fermentation method. In 1961, Brevibacterium ketoglutaricum and Corynebacterium pekinense, Corynebacterium crenatum for Glutamic acid has been separated from soil. In 1964, these strains were used for commercial production of glutamic acid in Shanghai production. Afterwards, China continued to screen the strain for glutamic acid. Still today, glutamic is the largest amino acid items in production scale and sales quantity. Also in 1960s, the production of amino acids by hydrolysis of protein started. These amino acids were used to make transfusion and to meet the demand from pharmaceutical industry. In 1974, Tianjin Heping Pharmaceutical Factory started to produce transfusion containing 11 amino acids. It pushed the amino acid industry to develop at fast pace. In December 1980, SDA set plan to develop some amino acids as follows: - L-phenylalanine in Tianjing and Hubei, - L-Valine in Shanghai, Hubei and Tianjin, - L-Isoleucine in Hubei, - L-Histine in Shanghai, - L-Threonine(Serine) in Shanghai and Tiangjin, - L-Su in Shanghai and Tianjin, - L-meththionine in Shanghai and Tianjin, - L-glycine in Shanghai and Tianjin, - L-leucine in Shanghai, - L-arginine & L-lycine for amino acid injection. During 1980s, China already grasped the technology for most kinds of amino acids and carried out commercial production of them. All the amino acids at that time were pharmaceutical grade and food grade. The amino acids industry has developed greatly in 1990s. During that period, China started to produce almost all kinds of amino acids. II. Current Situation of Amino Acid in China At present there are over 100 amino acids factories in China. The annual production is estimated to be 500,000-600,000MT in China, but about 90-95% is glutamic acid, which is used to make monosodium glutamate. It is estimated that the total production of food grade & pharmaceutical grade amino acid, except glutamic acid, is around 40,000-60,000MT/year. According to Customs statistics, the export quantity of food grade and pharmaceutical grade amino acids in 2000, apart from glutamic acid and its salts/ester, is around 33,000MT, while the import quantity of the same is about 6,000-7,000MT. Nowadays, apart from glutamic acid, the food grade & pharmaceutical grade amino acids with big production quantity include: - Cystine - Cysteine - Glycine - Lysine - Methionine Table Some situation of food grade & pharmaceutical grade amino acids in Mar 2001
III. Production Method & Research Fields of Amino Acid in China There are four methods to produce amino acid in China: fermentation method, enzyme method, chemical synthesis method and protein hydrolysis method. 1) Fermentation method The largest item that used fermentation method is glutamic acid, which uses wild type strain under the media of sugar and ammonium salt. Other amino acids that use fermentation method include aspartic acid, threonine, isoleucine, valine, lysine, proline. 2) Enzyme method The enzyme method is characterized by its simple rout, short production period, low energy, specificity and high yield. But so far is difficult to use this method in the mass production in China. Amino acids that use enzyme method include L-alanine, L-phenylalanine. 3) Chemical synthesis method It is easy to obtain amino acids by chemical synthesis method. But the resolution process requires high technique. The amino acids that use chemical synthetic method include DL-methionine, glycine. 4) Protein hydrolysis method This method is used to extract amino acids from hair, blood powder or silk. The amino acids that use this method include L-arginine, L-cystine, L-cysteine, L-Leucine, L-tyrosine. Table . Production method & research focus of amino acids in China
IV. Introduction to Specific Amino Acids Commercial production started from 1980s. Most Chinese alanine is for export. Price record of L-alanine in the past (on CNF NY base, unit: USD/kg)
Species available in China: Food grade & pharm grade: L-analine, D-analine, DL-analine There are at least 20 manufacturers of alanine in China. Typical manufacturers Include: - Nanning Only-time. - ¡¡ Research: Chinese people is focusing on the research on enzyme method and strain modification. In China it is made from the mother liquid during the production of cystine. Commercial production started from 2000. It is estimated that the total production in China is less than 50MT per year. It seems that the oversea buyers have not accepted the Chinese product. Species available: Pharmaceutical grade, L-arginine, D-arginine, DL-arginine There are 7 manufacturers in China to produce arginine. Typical manufacturers include: - Ningbo Create - ¡¡. Research: Chinese people is doing research on the extraction progress. Commercial production started from 1980s. Most arspartic acid is sold in domestic market. Chinese capacity is more than 10,000MT/year. Price trend of L-aspartic acid in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-aspartic acid & DL-aspartic acid There are 18 manufacturers to produce aspartic acid. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: It is an old amino acid. The production technology is relatively matured. Now there are fewer Chinese researchers on this product. Mass production of cysteine started in the end of 1980¡¯s. It is a relatively strong item in China, with capacity of a few thousand metric tons per year. It is 100% exported to overseas market and has become one of major exported items among amino acids. Once in the history there were 70-80 manufacturers in China. But since 1999 the export of it decreased a lot. Now there are less than 50 manufacturers in commercial production. The total capacity of cysteine is over a few thousand tons per year. Price trend of L-cysteine in the past: (on CNF base of cycteine HCL mono, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-cysteine HCL mono, L-cysteine HCL anhydrous, L-Cysteine base, L-cysteine H2O, DL-cysteine HCL mono, Dl-cysteine HCL anhydrous There are 42 manufacturers to produce cysteine. Typical manufacturers include: producers: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: The Chinese researchers pay attention on the electrolytic reduction. Before 1971, there was only one producer in China, Wuhan Chemical Reagent Factory, who started cystine production in 1964. The actual production reached to about 200 MT in 1980 and about 1,200 MT in 1989. The cystine industry has developed greatly in 1990s, stimulated by the promising export market at that time. But, like, cysteine, the market turn bad in the end of 1990s. There are two kinds of cystine in China, one is crude form which is sold to domestic market to make leucine, another is pharmaceutical grade cystine which is 100% exported to overseas. In 2000, China exported over 3,000MT of cystine. Price trend of L-cystine in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade : L-cystine, L-cystine HCL mono, L-cystine 2HCL, DL-cystine There are 42 manufacturers to produce cystine. Typical manufacturers include: manufacturers: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: The research focuses on - Improving production flowchart - Finding new material - Disposal of the wastewater Mass production started from 1958 in Shanghai. It is now the largest amino acid item in China, with annual production of around 500,000MT/year. It is mainly used to make monosodium glutamate, which is added into food as flavor additive. In 2000, China imported about 25,000MT per year of glutamic acid and its salts and ester, mainly from Vietnam. Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-glutamic acid, D-glutamic acid, DL-glutamic acid. There are 13 aspartic acid manufacturers in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: China focuses on the research in - Strain modification: - Production process improvement The commercial production of glycine started in the early of 1980¡¯s. It is one of successful amino acids in China. The capacity of industrial grade glycin is at least 30,000 tons per year in China. Apart from industrial application, it is also used in the food industry and pharmaceutical industry. It is the largest items in production among the pharmaceutical grade amino acid. The actual production of pharmaceutical grade glycine in 1999 was over 3,000MT. Since 1998 the price of glycine has been around USD 1.7/kg-USD2.2/kg on CNF base. Available species:food grade + pharmaceutical grade There are 34 manufacturers of glycine and 13 manufacturers of glycine ester in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Beijing Jianli - ¡¡ Research: Chinese researchers focus on improving production technology. It is a government promoted amino acid. There is no mass production of it because of the high production cost and unstable product quality. So far quite few manufacturers claim to produce this kind of amino acid in China. Price trend of L-isoleucine in the past: (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-isoleucine, D-isoleucine, DL-isoleucine There are 23 manufacturers in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: The research in China focuses in following areas - To improve strain quality - To improve fermentation technology - To improve hydrolysis production technology It is a by-product during the production of cystine. Price trend of L-leucine in the past: (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-leucine, D-leucine, DL-leucine There are 38 manufacturers in China to procue leucine. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: China researchers are improving fermentation method. The research of lysine production started from early 1980s but the commercialized production of lysine started in the middle of 1980s. The lysine industry has developed greatly in 1990s. Most Chinese manufacturers use feed grade lysine to make food grade & pharmaceutical grade product. Price trend of pharmaceutical grade L-lysine (USD23/AJI88) in the past (on CNF base, unit:USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-lysine mono, L-lysine 2H2O, DL-lysine HCL There are 19 manufacturers in China to produce food & pharm. Grade lysine. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: The research on lysine production started from 1980¡¯s. The Chinese researchers have been focusing on the fermentation technology and strain modification. China began the research on the synthesis of methionine and got success in 1950s. The first one to produce methionine is Tianjin Hebei Pharmaceutical Factory. But the production technology and production scale are not competitive comparing with oversea producers. In the mid 1980s, China settled to introduce technology from RP. In 1992 China set up a JV with Roune-Planc to produce feed grade methionine. But the cooperation has been proved to be unsuccessful. Now most Chinese manufacturers are producing pharmaceutical grade methionine. There are 11 manufactures in China to produce food & pharm grade methionine. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ There are two types of methionine in China, L-methionine and DL-methionine. The price of L-methionine has decreased from USD38.5/kg in 1999 to USD30.0/kg nowadays. While the price of Dl-methionine has been stable, USD4.3/kg-USD5.0/kg, on CNF base. China began the production of DL-phenylalanine in 1990s. But China is weak in the production of L-phenylalanine because of the difficulties in the dissolution. Price trend of DL-phenylalanine in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-phenylalanine, D-phenylalanine, DL-phenylalanine There are 26 manufacturers of phenylalanine in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡ Research: The production method of phenylalanine include extracting method, phenylpyruvic acid method and enzyme method. Now the most Chinese researchers focuse on enzyme method. Price trend of L-proline in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-proline, D-proline, Dl-proline There are 13 manufacturers to produce proline in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: The domestic researchers are focusing on the strain modification. It is a government promoted amino acid. So far there has been no manufacturer of it. China is weak in the production of threonine. The commercial production of food & pharm. Grade threonine started in 1990s. Some manufacturers produce it from the import feed grade threonine and some make it from starch and molasses by fermentation technology. Price trend of L-threonine in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-threonine, D-threonine, DL-threonine There are 13 manufacturers in China to produce food & pharm. grade threonine in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: Chinese researchers are doing experiment on synthetic method to produce threonine and on fermentation method by gene engineering strain. China is weak in the production of tryptophan because of the high production cost. So far there are only four food & pharm. Grade tryptophan in China. Only one producer is reported to make tryptophan by enzyme method. Others Chinese producers use import feed grade tryptophan and refine to make the pharmaceutical grade. It is made from the mother liquid during the production of cystine. The market tyrosine follows with the cystine. Price trend of L-Tyrosine in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Pharmaceutical grade: L-tyrosine, DL-tyrosine There are 23 manufacturers in China to produce tyrosine. Typical manufacturers include: - Ningbo Create - ¡¡ Research: The production technology of tyrosine by hydrolysis method is relatively matured in China. Some Chinese researchers are doing research on the production of tyrosine by enzyme method. Price trend of L-valine in the past (on CNF base, unit: USD/kg)
Available species: Food grade + pharmaceutical grade: L-valine, D-valine, DL-valine There are 14 manufacturers of valine in China. Typical manufacturers include: - Nanning Only-time - ¡¡ Research: Chinese researchers are doing research on fermentation technology and strain modification. 1. Industrial Guidance Catalogue for Foreign Investment Issued by State Development Planning Commission, State Economic & Trade Commission and Ministry of Foreign Trade Economic Cooperation. Executed since Jan 1st, 1998 - China encourages the investment in serine, tryptophan and histidine 2. Development Keystone of Industrial Technology in the Near Future Issued by State Economic & Trade Commission in August 1999 - To breakthrough the technology of fermentation and final treatment of amino acids - To develop strains with high yield during the production of some amino acids, by applying the modern biological technology including recombined DNA technology and protoplasm amalgamation technology. - To increase the yield by 5% and to decrease the production cost by 10-15%. For detailed info, welcome to contact Guangzhou CCM Chemicals Co. Ltd. |