Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. They are involved in a wide range of human, animal and plant health functions. For nutraceutical manufacturers, it is essential to select the right amino acids to offer quality products adapted to customer needs. But how do you define these selection criteria? Find out in this article how to integrate amino acids into your formulations!
Understanding amino acids
Amino acids: the basic units of proteins
Proteins are chains of amino acids. Depending on the order in which they are assembled, proteins have specific properties.
By definition, amino acids have a carboxylic acid function (COOH) and an amine function (NH2). There are many different amino acids, some twenty of which serve as the basis for protein synthesis.
For nutraceutical brands and consumers alike, it’s important to understand the categories and roles of each amino acid. Find out how they are classified!
Amino acid categories
There are three groups of amino acids: non-essential, essential and semi-essential.
Non-essential amino acids can be synthesized by the body. There are 11 of them. Of these 11 non-essential amino acids, 6 are semi-essential. Tyrosine, for example, is an amino acid in this category. Synthesized from phenylalanine, it can become essential for people suffering from phenylketonuria, a genetic disease linked to a protein metabolism disorder. These people are unable to synthesize tyrosine from phenylalanine, hence the importance of supplying it through the diet or supplements.
Amino acids that cannot be synthesized by the body are called essential amino acids. They must be provided by the diet or by dietary supplements. There are 9 of them: isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine and histidine [1].
The roles of the different amino acids
Each amino acid is involved in specific biological functions. At BCF Life Sciences, we specialize in the extraction of amino acids such as cystine and tyrosine. Let us introduce you to some of our favorites!
Cystine for the health and beauty of skin, nails and hair:
Cystine results from the association of two cysteine molecules, each containing a sulfur atom.
It plays a major role in the structure of keratin, a filamentous protein found in hair, nails and skin. The disulfide bridges created by cystine formation hold keratin fibers together. In this way, cystine plays a role in the beauty and health of our skin.
Find out more about cystine in our article! What is cystine?
Tyrosine… for many functions
Tyrosine, a precursor of dopamine, is involved in cognitive functions, stress management, concentration, emotional management and mental well-being. This amino acid can also be incorporated into finished products with very specific functions, such as post-partum depression or weight management.
Tyrosine is also a precursor of melanin, hence its role in skin pigmentation and the prevention of grey hair.
This active ingredient is also used in the composition of finished sports nutrition products.
💡 Do you know what BCAAs are?
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For players in the nutraceutical industry, the choice of amino acids in their formulations is a key issue! Indeed, targeting consumer needs and defining the promises of dietary supplements are essential to choosing the right amino acids! But what parameters influence product composition?
Choosing the right amino acids for your needs
Targeting amino acids according to product promise
The first step in choosing the right amino acids for the consumer is to define the dietary supplement’s promise.
Indeed, finished products incorporating amino acids in their composition do not have the same objectives for the consumer. Promises may focus on weight management, energy, sports nutrition, immunity or many others. Specific ingredients are adapted to each dietary supplement according to its promise.
For example, cystine is a star ingredient for the health and beauty of skin, nails and hair. At BCF Life Sciences, we offer L-Cystine as well as a range of ingredients containing it, such as Kera-Diet®, Cysti-White® and Naticol®-Cyskin®.
We also produce L-Tyrosine, an ingredient that can be used in products promising to improve cognitive function, concentration and stress management.
Select amino acid sources according to their bioavailability
Amino acid bioavailability represents the proportion of amino acids available for protein synthesis, i.e. the amino acids that are assimilated by the body. In fact, for most proteins, 5-20% of amino acids are lost during digestion, and 15-30% are lost during subsequent stages of metabolism [5].
Free amino acids, on the other hand, guarantee better intestinal absorption.
So it’s important for manufacturers to pay attention to the bioavailability of amino acids in order to maximize product efficacy.
Choosing amino acids according to the galenic form of the finished product
For those wishing to integrate amino acids into their product formulation, it is essential to first consider the galenics of the finished product. This is an important stage in the design of a dietary supplement.
There are many galenic formulations on the market: powders, liquid formats, tablets, capsules, gummies and more. The challenge for manufacturers? Defining a format that enables amino acids to be properly assimilated!
BCF Life Sciences offers amino acids compatible with several formats, with a quality of powder that can be compressed and put into capsules. What’s more, BCF Life Sciences amino acid mixes enable nutraceutical players to combine the benefits of several amino acids in a single finished product.
For nutraceutical laboratories, choosing quality ingredients can be difficult. Find out how to select your supplier!
Choosing quality amino acid suppliers
Find out about the geographical origin of ingredients
The origin of ingredients and finished products is a feature that consumers take into account when purchasing dietary supplements. In fact, the French origin and manufacture of products are purchasing criteria that are gaining ground on the French market! Today, they account for 66% and 65% of consumers respectively, compared with 61% and 60% in 2023 [6].
Since its creation, amino acid production at BCF Life Sciences has been 100% French! What’s more, we pay particular attention to our sourcing in order to minimize our environmental impact. 68% of the feathers from which we extract keratin come from the Morbihan department.
At present, in food supplements, an indication of French manufacture does not necessarily indicate the French origin of the ingredients, hence the importance of paying attention to their geographical origin.
Pay attention to traceability
On the nutraceutical market, consumers are faced with a wide choice of dietary supplements… But how do you choose the right ones? Focusing on quality, transparency and trust: that’s what’s at stake for manufacturers!
With consumers looking for transparency, ingredient traceability is part of a quality approach. Indeed, ingredient traceability makes it possible to trace raw materials back to their geographical origin.
At BCF Life Sciences, all ingredients are traced throughout the manufacturing process.
Search for evidence of effectiveness
Consumers are looking for high-performance products. Indeed, the expected benefits of finished products are the 2nd most important criterion for purchasing dietary supplements in France [6].
Numerous studies and scientific publications testify to the efficacy of BCF Life Sciences ingredients. We offer a range of clinically proven ingredients. For example, clinical and in vitro studies have been conducted on Kera-Diet® and CystiWhite®.
To summarize the 3 steps to choosing amino acids in your formulations, it is first important to understand the differences between amino acids and their roles. Indeed, although all amino acids are involved in the functions of human, animal and plant health, each one is specific. Secondly, the challenge for dietary supplement brands is to determine the criteria for choosing the right amino acids to meet their needs. These selection criteria may be based on the product’s promise and galenics, on the bioavailability of amino acids, or on the choice of suppliers for quality amino acids.
For a presentation of our ingredients, please contact us!
SOURCES :
[1] Report of a Joint WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation, Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition, 2007
[2] Michael V Fedewa and al. Effect of branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplementation on Muscle Soreness following Exercise: A Meta-Analysis, 2019
[3] Mohammad Hossein Rahimi and al. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation and exercise-induced muscle damage in exercise recovery: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, 2017
[4] Yehui Duan and al. The role of leucine and its metabolites in protein and energy metabolism, 2016
[5] Claire Gaudichon. Bioavailability of proteins and amino acids, 2023
[6] Synadiet. Baromètre de la consommation des compléments alimentaires, 2024
