Structure via PubChem · Public domain (PubChem)
theanine
Sign in to saveAlso known as N-ethyl-l-glutamine, L-theanine, L-Theanine, N-Ethyl-L-glutamine, 2-Amino-4-(ethylcarbamoyl)butanoic acid
Theanine , also known as L-γ-glutamylethylamide, '''N5-ethyl-L-glutamine, or γ-glutamylethylamide', is a bioactive, non-proteinogenic amino acid similar to the proteinogenic amino acids glutamic acid and L-glutamine. It is produced by certain plants such as the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), and by some fungi. Theanine was discovered in 1949 as a constituent of green tea and was isolated in 1950 from gyokuro'' tea leaves. Theanine constitutes about 1–2% of the dry weight of green tea leaves.
Key facts
- Drug.image
- L-Theanine.svg
- Drug.image_class
- skin-invert-image
- Drug.image2
- Theanine-3D-balls.png
- Drug.image_class2
- bg-transparent
- Drug.caption
- L-Theanine
- Drug.alt
- skeletal formula of L-theanine
- Drug.IUPAC_name
- (2S)-2-Ammonio-5-(ethylamino)-5-oxopentanoate or N-Ethyl-L-glutamine
- Drug.pregnancy_US
- A
- Drug.legal_US
- OTC
- Drug.legal_UN
- Unscheduled
- Drug.dependency_liability
- None
- Drug.routes_of_administration
- Oral
- Drug.onset
- ~1 hour
- Drug.elimination_half life
- Capsule: ~1.2 hours Green Tea: ~0.8 hours
- Drug.CAS_number
- 3081-61-6
- Drug.ATC_prefix
- none
- Drug.PubChem
- 439378
- Drug.DrugBank
- DB12444
via Wikipedia infobox
Chemical data
- Formula
- C7H14N2O3
- Molecular weight
- 174.2 g/mol
- IUPAC name
- (2S)-2-azaniumyl-5-(ethylamino)-5-oxopentanoate
- SMILES
- CCNC(=O)CC[C@@H](C(=O)[O-])[NH3+]
- InChIKey
- DATAGRPVKZEWHA-YFKPBYRVSA-N
- XLogP
- -2.7
- Polar surface area
- 96.9 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 2
- H-bond acceptors
- 3
- Formal charge
- 0
via PubChem
~8 min read
Encyclopedic overview
9 sectionsContents
- Structure and properties
- Discovery and distribution
- Digestion and metabolism
- In vitro
- Regulatory status
- Research on supplement use
- See also
- References
- Further reading
Theanine , also known as L-γ-glutamylethylamide, '''N5-ethyl-L-glutamine, or γ-glutamylethylamide', is a bioactive, non-proteinogenic amino acid similar to the proteinogenic amino acids glutamic acid and L-glutamine. It is produced by certain plants such as the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), and by some fungi. Theanine was discovered in 1949 as a constituent of green tea and was isolated in 1950 from gyokuro tea leaves. Theanine constitutes about 1–2% of the dry weight of green tea leaves.
Theanine is sold as a dietary supplement. It is packaged in gelatin capsules, tablets, and as a powder, and may be an ingredient in branded supplements with caffeine. It is also used as an ingredient in food and beverages. Japan approved its unlimited use in all foods (including chocolates, soft drinks, and herb teas) except infant food in 1964, and the US Food and Drug Administration has considered it to be safe at doses up to 250 milligrams (mg) per serving since 2007.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “theanine” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.