L-cysteine has good application prospects in the pharmaceutical field. my country’s R&D enthusiasm continues to rise
L-Cysteine, also known as L-а-amino-b-mercaptopropionic acid, has a molecular formula of C3H7NO2S. It is an amino acid containing a thiol group and is an isomer of cysteine. L-cysteine appears as a white crystalline powder, soluble in acetic acid, ethanol and water, but insoluble in acetone, ether and carbon tetrachloride. L-cysteine has detoxification, antioxidant, moisturizing and other functions, and is widely used in the fields of medicine, pesticides, cosmetics and food.
The synthesis methods of L-cysteine include electrolytic reduction, fermentation and tin particle reduction. The electrolytic reduction method refers to using cystine, distilled water and hydrochloric acid as raw materials, adding them to the electrolytic tank, and finally producing L-cysteine through mixing, dissolving, electrolysis, filtration, decolorization, cooling and other processes; tin particle reduction method Using cystine and dilute hydrochloric acid as raw materials, the two are mixed and dissolved, and then tin particles are added to react with each other under high temperature conditions. Finally, the finished product is obtained through processes such as washing and drying. At present, Chinese companies mostly use fermentation methods to produce L-cysteine, but there are deficiencies in technical level, resulting in low production capacity and output.
In recent years, my country’s scientific research institutions have continued to be enthusiastic about the research and development of L-cysteine fermentation method, and many new developments have been made. In 2022, the research team of Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, successfully developed an L-cysteine biosensor based on the regulation of L-cysteine cell metabolism, which will be used in the fermentation method to prepare L-cysteine in the future. The process includes strain selection and enzyme activity improvement. In the future, with in-depth research and technological advancement, the development speed of my country’s L-cysteine industry will accelerate.
According to the “2023-2028 China L-Cysteine Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center 》shows that L-cysteine is widely used in the fields of medicine, pesticides, cosmetics and food. In the field of medicine, L-cysteine has antipyretic, analgesic, ulcer treatment, detoxification and other effects. It can be used to prepare expectorants, liver medicines and detoxification drugs. This field has the largest demand. As downstream demand grows, the L-cysteine market space continues to expand. The global L-cysteine market size will reach 3.67 billion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year growth of 6.9%.
At present, my country’s L-cysteine companies focus on the production of mid-to-low-end products, while high-end demand relies on imports. Major players in my country’s L-cysteine market include Nantong Eastern Amino Acid Co., Ltd., Hubei Xinshengyuan Bioengineering Co., Ltd., Wuhan Yuanda Hongyuan Co., Ltd., Hebei Huaheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., etc.
Industry analysts said that L-cysteine, as an amino acid, is widely used in medicine and other fields and will be accompanied by downstream demand in the future. growth, its market space will be further expanded. In recent years, my country’s L-cysteine research and development enthusiasm has been high, and many new developments have been made. In the future, driven by positive factors such as technological innovation, my country’s L-cysteine production capacity and output will increase.