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In 1956, amino acid infusions for the supply of nutrition to patients before and after surgery, were launched in Japan. This was the world's first application of purified amino acids to the medical field.
After improvements were made in various countries, high-calorie infusions(hyperalimentation) containing not only amino acids but also carbohydrates and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium were established. They were found to increase the surgical success rate in addition to allowing nutritional control, and are now widely used as indispensable medical products for surgery.
The physiological function of each amino acid has been studied in depth, and hopes run high for the development of medical products using their physiological functions.
Amino acid production technology, including the fermentation method, has made it possible to manufacture high-quality amino acids in large amounts. This technological development has made a significant contribution to the diffusion of amino acid infusions throughout the world. |
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The blood amino acid levels in hepatic failure patients are characterized by lower BCAA (valine, leucine, and isoleucine) and higher aromatic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) compared to healthy persons.
Such an imbalance in blood amino acids frequently causes hepatic encephalopathy, leading to coma in some cases. To replenish the needed amino acids while preventing hepatic encephalopathy, branched chain amino acid preparations were developed with a well-adjusted amino acid composition. These preparations have produced an excellent effect in the treatment of hepatic failure. |
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Ingested dietary proteins are metabolized to amino acids, which are finally metabolized to urea, a waste product. Chronic renal failure is a disease in which urea is not excreted well. Patients with this disease are subjected to dialysis and protein-restriction.
However, a continued low-protein diet decreases the blood levels of essential amino acids and worsens the nutritional status of the patient. Amino acid preparations have made it possible to maintain the nutritional status while preventing a decrease of renal function by replenishing the needed amino acids, mainly essential amino acids important for maintaining body functions in the required amounts. |
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Although elemental diet and amino acid infusions are mixtures of some types of amino acids, each amino acid in isolation has been found to produce various physiological effects. Glutamic acid is used as an antiulcer drug, and its gastrointestinal mucosa-repairing function has recently gained attention also.
Arginine exerts an immune-enhancing effect not only in healthy persons but also in post-operative patients with lowered immunological function, patients on intensive treatment, and patients infected with HIV virus.
An investigation has shown that 90 (18%) of the top-500 best selling drug products in the world use amino acids as pharmaceutical intermediates. Among them, for example, are amoxicillin (antibiotic), captopril, enalapril, lisinopril (hypotensive drugs), norvir, amprenavir (anti-HIV drugs), and acyclovir (antiviral drug). Another example is <nateglinide>, an oral antidiabetic developed by Ajinomoto Pharma Co., Ltd. These drug products use amino acids such as proline, valine, and phenylalanine, and artificial amino acids such as D-phenylglycine and D-phenylalanine also play important roles. |
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Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has the largest share in the medical-use amino acid market worldwide.
Wheat gluten or soybean protein is hydrolyzed to yield a solution containing all the protein-constituting amino acids. At first, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. extracted only glutamate from it, but then considered that each of the remaining amino acids, if isolated in crystal form, could be utilized on account of its unique characteristics in the medical care field.
With the progressive development of amino acid isolation/purification technology, 18 kinds of amino acids were successfully isolated during the early 1950s, and distributed in vials to researchers worldwide. This gave a new impetus to studies of amino acid application throughout the world. The present consumption of medical-use amino acids amounts to 15,000 tons/year worldwide. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. plays an important role as the leading company of amino acids, with a worldwide share of 60% in this field. |
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