Ergothioneine has a wide range of applications and good industry development prospects

Ergothioneine (EGT) is a natural chiral amino acid strong antioxidant, also known as 2-mercaptohistidine trimethyl internal salt. It is the only 2-thioimidazole amino acid currently found in nature. Ergothioneine widely exists in plants, animals and living organisms in nature, but it is more stable than other thiol antioxidants and is not prone to spontaneous oxidation under physiological pH conditions.

According to the “Ergothioneine Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospects Forecast Analysis Report 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, Ergothioneine has a variety of functions, such as anti-radiation, detoxification, free radical scavenging, whitening, cellular immunity, anti-aging, etc. It especially plays an important role in antioxidant and is considered a multifunctional cell physiological protective agent. The special functions of ergothioneine make it used not only in the field of cosmetics, but also in the fields of food and medicine. But for now, ergothioneine is mainly used in the fields of functional foods and cosmetics. There are few studies in the pharmaceutical field, and the market development potential is huge in the future.

The synthesis methods of ergothioneine include chemical synthesis and biological synthesis. The cost of chemical synthesis products is high and the safety is difficult to guarantee, which results in the high price of ergothioneine products. The biological synthesis of ergothioneine mainly uses microbial cells. Ingredients, microorganisms that can synthesize ergothioneine mainly include Spirulina, Mycobacteria, Basidiomycetes and Ascomycetes. The biosynthesis method has the advantages of low cost, easy acquisition of raw materials, and easy expansion of production, and is the development direction of the preparation method of ergothioneine.

The human body cannot synthesize ergothioneine itself and can only be absorbed from the diet through its transporter. Ergothioneine is a recognized safe product in the United States; it passed safety reviews by the European Union and the FDA in 2017 and 2019. As the safety and functionality of ergothioneine have been recognized by the market, its application fields have continued to expand. In the health food market, there are ergothioneine nutritional supplements LERGOTHIONEINE, ErgoActive, ERGO, etc. In addition, there are many high-end cosmetics on the market that contain ergothioneine, such as Estee Lauder.

Currently, ergothioneine manufacturers in the world and in my country include Tetrahedron, Mironova Labs, Blue California, Jianteng Biotech, Saibon Biotech, Huaxi Biotech, Zhongke Noshi, Taizhou Tianhong Biochemical Technology, etc. Due to the good development prospects of the ergothioneine industry, companies will continue to join the market in the future, resulting in fierce market competition.

Industry analysts said that the physiological effects and physical and chemical properties of ergothioneine determine its use in food, functional foods, beverages, and cosmetics. It has broad application prospects in the pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Its unique features such as good water solubility and stability give ergothioneine more advantages in the preparation, storage and intestinal absorption of dosage forms. With the improvement of ergothioneine production level and the in-depth research on its application, the application and development of ergothioneine in more fields will be promoted, and more ergothioneine products will emerge to meet the needs of various high-end markets.