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L-aspartic acid

Aspartic acid is the 2-aminobutanedioic acid, occurring in its L-form in animals and plants. L-Aspartic acid is an essential starting material for a wide variety of additives for the pharmaceutical industry and the food sector. For example, L-aspartic acid is used for preparing artificial sweetener, such as aspartame. Aspartic acid is used in products such as the aspartame sweetener and for formation of the biodegradable polymer polyaspartic acid (PAA). The latter could be utilized as a cobuilder or as a sequestrant in detergents, as a super absorbent polymer and in other applications. The biodegradability of polyaspartic acid is very attractive, and the potential market is large. L-Aspartic acid is one of the amino acids that is difficult to produce directly by fermentation. Consequently it is produced enzymatically by conversion of diammonium fumarate to ammonium aspartate which is then acidulated. Aspartic acid is usually produced by enzymatic conversion of diammonium fumarate. In the enzymatic variants, L-aspartic acid is usually obtained by enzymatic addition of ammonia to fumaric acid with subsequent precipitation from the resultant ammonium L-aspartate solution. L-aspartic acid is the only form of aspartic acid which is currently available on a large commercial scale. L-aspartic acid is used in the manufacture of the artificial sweetener, aspartame. L-Aspartic acid is in increasing demand to be used for pharmaceuticals and food additives.

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