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Product details

About The DL-Methionine

I. Overview

DL-methionine is an important sulfur-containing amino acid. It is a racemic form of methionine, containing equal amounts of D- and L-enantiomers. In the body, L-methionine can be directly used by the body to participate in various physiological metabolic processes, while D-methionine needs to undergo certain transformations to play a similar role. DL-methionine is widely used in many fields such as feed, medicine, and food, and is an indispensable nutrient for maintaining the normal functioning of the body.

II. Physical and chemical properties

Appearance and properties: It usually appears as white flaky crystals or crystalline powders. This form is convenient for its operation in storage, transportation, and subsequent application scenarios. For example, it can be mixed with other raw materials more evenly in feed production, and it is convenient to accurately match with other excipients in pharmaceutical preparation.

Solubility: It has limited solubility in water and is slightly soluble, but its solubility will be enhanced in dilute acid or dilute alkali solutions, and it can be better dissolved and participate in subsequent chemical reactions or play corresponding functions. In terms of organic solvents, DL-methionine also has certain solubility characteristics in common organic solvents such as ethanol and ether, but the degree of solubility in different organic solvents varies. The overall solubility performance is closely related to its use in the body and industrial application scenarios.

Melting point and stability: DL-methionine has a relatively clear melting point range, generally around 280°C (the specific melting point may fluctuate slightly due to factors such as purity). It is relatively stable under normal temperature and pressure and dry conditions, but if it is in adverse conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, strong light exposure or strong oxidants, its chemical structure may change, thereby affecting its efficacy and quality, so it is necessary to pay attention to maintaining appropriate environmental conditions during storage and use.

III. Physiological function

Participate in protein synthesis: As one of the basic amino acids that constitute protein, DL-methionine plays a key role in protein synthesis in the body. It can provide the necessary structural units. According to the specific genetic code sequence, it is connected with other amino acids through the action of organelles such as ribosomes to form protein molecules with different functions. These proteins participate in almost all physiological processes of the human body, such as enzyme catalysis, muscle contraction and relaxation, antibody immune defense, etc., which are essential for maintaining the normal life activities of the body.

Methyl donor function: DL-methionine molecules contain active groups that can provide methyl groups. During the metabolism process in the body, it can provide methyl groups for other compounds through corresponding biochemical reactions. Methylation modification is of great significance in the functional regulation of many biological macromolecules (such as DNA, RNA, protein, etc.). For example, DNA methylation can affect the expression of genes, thereby regulating cell differentiation, proliferation and various physiological functions, and plays an important role in maintaining normal growth and development, physiological homeostasis, etc. Regulating metabolism: It participates in many metabolic pathways in the body. For example, in the metabolism of sulfur-containing compounds, DL-methionine is an important sulfur-containing amino acid, and its metabolites are closely related to the balance of sulfur in the body. Sulfur plays a role in key parts such as the active center of some enzymes, affecting the rate and direction of many metabolic reactions. At the same time, it is also related to fat metabolism, energy metabolism and other processes. For example, by affecting the activity of certain key metabolic enzymes, it regulates the synthesis and decomposition of fat, maintains the balance of energy metabolism in the body, and has a certain potential role in preventing metabolic diseases such as obesity.

IV. Application fields

Feed industry:

It is a very commonly used amino acid additive in animal feed, because the ability of animals to synthesize methionine is limited, especially poultry (such as chickens, ducks, etc.) and livestock (such as pigs, cattle, etc.) have a large demand for methionine during growth and development. By adding DL-methionine to feed, the lack of methionine in animal feed can be supplemented, the growth of animals can be promoted, the feed conversion rate can be improved, and the animals can more efficiently convert the ingested feed into their own weight growth, enhance the disease resistance of animals, reduce the occurrence of diseases, and thus improve the breeding efficiency.

Different animal species and different growth stages have different requirements for DL-methionine. For example, young animals often need relatively more DL-methionine during the rapid growth stage. Therefore, the amount of addition in the feed formula needs to be accurately determined according to the specific animal species, age and other factors to achieve scientific and reasonable nutritional supplementation.

Pharmaceutical industry:

In the medical field, DL-methionine can be used for the auxiliary treatment of some diseases. For example, for patients with liver disease, appropriate supplementation of DL-methionine helps to improve the metabolic function of the liver, because the liver is an important place for amino acid metabolism. The various metabolic processes involved in methionine have positive significance for the recovery of liver function. At the same time, it may also have a potential role in the treatment or improvement of certain nervous system diseases (such as nervous system damage caused by abnormal homocysteine ​​metabolism). However, it is still in the stage of further research and exploration, and has not yet formed a mature treatment application plan.

Food industry:

As a nutritional enhancer, DL-methionine can be added to some specific foods to supplement the amino acid content in food and meet the additional amino acid needs of different groups of people (such as vegetarians, the elderly, athletes, etc.). For example, adding DL-methionine to some plant protein-based foods can improve their amino acid composition, make their nutritional value closer to animal protein foods, and enhance the overall nutritional value of food.

In addition, it can also be used for food preservation. By participating in some biochemical reactions that inhibit the growth of microorganisms and delay food spoilage, it plays a certain preservation role and extends the shelf life of food. However, the application in this area is relatively limited and needs to strictly follow the relevant regulations and standards for food safety.

V. Quality standards and testing

Quality standards:

Different application fields have different quality requirements for DL-methionine, but in general, there are strict restrictions on its content, impurity content, etc. For example, in the field of feed additives, the content of its active ingredient DL-methionine is required to reach the specified standard range, and there are corresponding upper limits for heavy metal impurities and moisture content, etc., to ensure that the product meets the requirements for safe and effective use and will not have adverse effects on animal health due to impurities and other problems.

DL-methionine used in the pharmaceutical field has a high standard of quality control. Every link from raw material purity to production process must strictly comply with the requirements of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) to ensure the quality stability and safety of the product, so that it can be reliably used in disease treatment and other aspects.

Detection method:

The commonly used method for detecting DL-methionine content includes high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which injects the sample into the mobile phase, separates different substances by using the difference in the distribution coefficient between the stationary phase and the mobile phase, and then detects the peak area and other related signals of DL-methionine through the detector, and compares it with the standard to accurately determine its content.

For the detection of impurity content, such as heavy metal impurities, atomic absorption spectroscopy can be used to determine the content of heavy metals by detecting the absorption spectrum of specific metal elements in the sample, so as to comprehensively evaluate the quality of DL-methionine products and determine whether they meet the corresponding quality standards.

VI. Storage and transportation requirements

Storage conditions:

It should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated environment. It is generally recommended that the storage temperature be below 30°C and avoid direct sunlight, because high temperature and strong light can easily cause chemical reactions such as decomposition and oxidation, affecting its quality and performance. At the same time, moisture-proof measures should be taken. Packaging containers with good sealing performance can be used to prevent it from absorbing moisture in the air and causing agglomeration and deterioration, so as to ensure its stability during storage.

It should also be stored separately from oxidants, acids, alkalis and other substances that may react chemically to avoid accidents and ensure that storage safety and product quality are not affected.

Transportation requirements:

During transportation, it is also necessary to avoid adverse environmental conditions such as high temperature, sun exposure, and rain. Use appropriate packaging materials, such as packaging bags or packaging barrels with moisture-proof, light-proof, and sealing functions, to ensure that the packaging is intact and prevent external factors from damaging its internal chemical structure and quality. In addition, the transportation route and transportation tools should be arranged reasonably to avoid bumps, collisions, and other situations that may cause packaging damage, so as to ensure that the product is transported safely and intact to the destination.

VII. Precautions for use

Dosage: Whether in feed addition, medical application or food fortification, the dosage needs to be strictly controlled. In the feed industry, the dosage should be scientifically and reasonably determined based on factors such as the type of animal, growth stage, and feeding environment. Excessive addition may cause digestive problems such as diarrhea in animals; in the medical field, it must be used according to the doctor’s instructions and the appropriate dosage should be determined according to the patient’s age, condition, and physical condition to prevent adverse reactions; in food applications, it is also necessary to reasonably add food according to the recommended concentration and number of uses to avoid affecting food quality or causing food safety problems due to improper dosage.

Contraindications: When adding DL-methionine to feed, pay attention to its interaction with other feed additives. For example, when it exists with some minerals (such as calcium, iron, etc.), it may affect each other’s solubility or stability, so it is necessary to ensure that the overall feed is nutritionally balanced and the ingredients are compatible with each other through scientific formula design. In medical applications, if other drugs are taken at the same time, drug interactions may occur, and the doctor needs to be informed that DL-methionine is being used for reasonable medication adjustments and monitoring.