L-theanine, this amino acid has been closely associated with relaxation and improved learning abilities (1), as it facilitates the generation of alpha brain waves, associated with a relaxed but alert mental state (2) and promotes the release of GABA, the inhibitory neuro-transmitter which regulates major brain dopamine and serotonin levels.

As L-Theanine's market potential grows with demands for stress relief and sleep solutions, the mass production of this potent and well studied amino acid has forced manufacturers to develop synthetic versions of this compound.

China has been the largest consumer of L-theanine in the world in the past few years, and it should maintain this position for the next few years. The Chinese market took up about 43.31% of the global market in 2018, followed by North America with a share of about 22.98%. Market size of L-theanine will reach 1226.94 tons in 2025, with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.8% from 2018 to 2025 (QY Research report).

Clinical trials reveal a daily dose of 50 mg to 200 mg of L-theanine per day as an effective dosage. In order to deliver the effective dose in a dietary supplement form, science must find the best way to concentrate the precious phytoactive. Research report average concentration of L-theanine in tea leaves ranging from 1% to 10%. What are the strategies and technics to concentrate so that manufacturers can formulate the right daily dosage into a pill?

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How to deliver L-theanine to the dietary supplement market? Simple. Choose the best tea leaves with a high content in phytoactives.

Ingredient manufacturers must define optimal conditions for extracting the active compounds tea leaves as an efficient first step for its purification. As such temperature, extraction time, ratio of water-to-tea and tea particle sizes have significant impacts on the extraction yield of theanine (3) but the one of the most important component to the entire manufacturing process is the quality of the raw material, the initial L-theanine content of the green tea leaves. It can vary from 1-% up to 10-12% depending on the green tea variatal.

Since the end of 2020, the European commission consider L-theanine from any other source than green tea leaves as novel food. Market in in demand of a reliable source of naturally occurring L-theanine from green tea with a high standardisation of actives, not easy to reach at an affordable cost! Getting the right source of raw material is strategic!

Anji bai cha green tea offers 3 to 4 times more L-theanine than regular green tea

At BKD, we sourced specific green tea varietals, the Anji bai cha from Zhejiang area, in China,  which has a protected geographical designation (PDO). Our raw material has a natural L-theanine content raging from 5 to 10%, 3 to 4 times higher than regular green tea. With a mild extraction process followed by a concentration step we reach 40% standardization, one of the highest rate of the market. You can use our L-theanine Green Tea extract to formulate new products while delivering a cost-effective, natural solution.

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(1)Mancini E, Beglinger C, Drewe J, Zanchi D, Lang UE, Borgwardt S. Green tea effects on cognition, mood and human brain function: A systematic review. Phytomedicine. 2017 Oct 15;34:26-37. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.07.008. Epub 2017 Jul 27. PMID: 28899506.

(2) (1)Mancini E, Beglinger C, Drewe J, Zanchi D, Lang UE, Borgwardt S. Green tea effects on cognition, mood and human brain function: A systematic review. Phytomedicine. 2017 Oct 15;34:26-37. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.07.008. Epub 2017 Jul 27. PMID: 28899506.

(3) Vuong QV.  Optimum conditions for the water extraction of L-theanine from green tea. J Sep Sci. 2011 Sep;34(18):2468-74. doi: 10.1002/jssc.201100401. Epub 2011 Jul 7. PMID: 21735551.

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