Ergothioneine, a Natural Amino Acid, Powerful Function To Women

Ergothioneine, a Natural Amino Acid AIDEVI Ergothionein As First Health Well Pharma Factory to Approve Its Food safety and Function.

Ergothioneine (EGT) is an important bioactive substance found in both animals and plants. It is a naturally occurring amino acid with relatively high concentrations.

Research has shown that ergothioneine can only be obtained through dietary sources and is not synthesized by animal and plant organisms. Only certain microorganisms, such as blue-green algae, actinobacteria, streptomyces, fungi, can produce ergothioneine.

Studies abroad have indicated that EGT, as a natural amino acid, is a unique cellular physiological protectant with various functions, including scavenging free radicals, detoxification, maintaining DNA biosynthesis, normal cell growth, cellular immunity, radiation protection, skin whitening, and anti-aging properties. It plays a significant role, particularly in antioxidant and energy regulation. Due to the presence of EGT transporters (RTT) in living organisms, EGT serves as an antioxidant that can be transported between cells.

Unique Antioxidant with Promising Prospects

Antioxidants can be categorized into chemically synthesized and naturally extracted types. Currently, many use chemically synthesized antioxidants both domestically and internationally. However, animal experiments have shown that they have certain toxicity and carcinogenic effects. Natural antioxidants, on the other hand, are safe and non-toxic and have become a hot topic in the industry.

Currently, the production of ergothioneine is limited globally, with Tetrahedron and Mironova Labs holding a significant share of revenue. In 2019, the global market value of L-(+)-ergothioneine reached 50 million RMB, with these two companies accounting for 58.64% and 34.77%, respectively. It is estimated to grow to 270 million RMB by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29.7%.

The rapid development of the Chinese market has driven the global ergothioneine market, especially with the advancement of bioprocess synthesis technology, which has reduced the production cost of ergothioneine. This has prompted more pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies to invest in the research and development of ergothioneine-containing products. Moreover, it has increased consumer awareness of ergothioneine. 

Although ergothioneine has mainly been used in cosmetics due to regulatory reasons, its potential in the field of oral nutritional supplements should not be underestimated. With the rising income levels of Chinese consumers, especially the trend of self-enjoyment, the rapid development of online sales channels such as e-commerce platforms, and the increased purchasing power of female consumer groups, the Chinese market for oral beauty products is expanding rapidly. During the process of purchasing oral beauty supplements, consumers are paying more attention to product ingredients, and ergothioneine may become another crossover sensation after hyaluronic acid sodium.

Challenges in Ergothioneine Production

There are three main methods for ergothioneine production: chemical synthesis, extraction, and bioprocess synthesis. It is quite challenging to chemically synthesize L-ergothioneine, and several synthesis methods have not achieved the expected yield due to local or complete racemization.

OXIS International was the first to develop an efficient and commercial method for synthesizing ergothioneine and applied for a patent in 1995. However, the safety of chemically synthesized products is difficult to guarantee, and the high cost of synthetic raw materials leads to high production costs and product prices, limiting the application of ergothioneine. Natural biological extraction involves extracting ergothioneine from mushroom fruit bodies, pig blood, animal tissues, ergot, and grains. However, the content of ergothioneine in these raw materials is still very low, and there are problems with impurities, drug residues, and high extraction costs, which limit the application of ergothioneine and are not suitable for industrialization. Bioprocess synthesis, using deep fermentation technology to biosynthesize ergothioneine, is the mainstream method for low-cost large-scale production of ergothioneine. It can effectively increase the yield of ergothioneine through metabolic regulation and fermentation process control measures, reduce production costs, and, most importantly, ensure product safety, expanding the application space for ergothioneine benefits.

Global Food Regulations on Ergothioneine 

Ergothioneine has obtained approval for food-grade safety, especially for consumption by infants, pregnant women, and lactating women, in the European market, which will once again verify its unique investment vision and promising investment returns.

European Union: On July 13, 2017, the European Commission issued Regulation (EU) 2017/1281, which authorized L-ergothioneine as a new food ingredient for the market, in compliance with Regulation (EC) No 258/97 of the European Parliament and the Council. Later that year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a document that recognized synthetic L-ergothioneine as a safe new resource food for infants, pregnant women, and lactating women, under the condition that it does not affect Directive 2002/46/EC. It specified maximum usage levels as 30mg/day for adults and 20mg/day for children over 3 years old and recommended naming L-ergothioneine on food labels as "L-ergothioneine."

United States: In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated ErgoActive® (ergothioneine) as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) under "anticipated conditions of use." This decision enables product manufacturers to incorporate this potent antioxidant into a variety of popular consumer products, including cosmetics, beauty products, food and beverages, and dietary supplements.