Kyowa Hakko U.S.A. Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd., has announced it has completed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) self-affirmation for the valuable amino acid L-Ornithine.

L-Ornithine is an amino acid that is used to build muscle by stimulating protein synthesis through the enhancement of growth hormone secretion and to assist weight loss by increasing the basal metabolism. It is also known that L-ornithine has the ability to enhance immunity, liver function and anti-fatigue.

“We are excited about having GRAS for L-ornithine as this will expand the use of this important amino acid into traditional food and beverages,” said Dr. Toshikazu Kamiya, CEO and president of Kyowa Hakko USA.

Research supported by Kyowa Hakko Bio suggests that L-Ornithine has an antifatigue effect by increasing the efficiency of energy utilization and promoting the excretion of ammonia.

Tomohiro Sugino, Tomoko Shirai, Yoshitaka Kajimoto, Osami Kajimoto. L-Ornithine supplementation attenuates physical fatigue in healthy volunteers by modulating lipid and amino acid metabolism. Nutrition Research, Volume 28, Issue 11, November 2008, Pages 738–743. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2008.08.008

The GRAS affirmation includes L-Ornithine, L-Ornithine Monohydrochloride, and L-Ornithine L-Aspartate. L-Ornithine will be marketed by Kyowa Hakko USA as a food ingredient in the United States for use at levels of 200 mg of L-ornithine/serving in various food products, such as beverages and beverages bases; grain products and pastas; milk products; and processed fruits and fruit juices.