GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)

Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a non-proteinogenic amino acid — four carbons with the amine on the far end rather than adjacent to the carboxyl group, which is exactly why it is never incorporated into protein. In mammalian biochemistry it is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system, formed when glutamate decarboxylase strips the carboxyl group from L-glutamic acid using pyridoxal phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6, as cofactor. GABA also occurs naturally in plants and in fermented foods, and in specially processed GABA tea. Commercial GABA is made by the same enzymology, run in a fermenter. Lactobacillaceae strains expressing glutamate decarboxylase convert L-glutamic acid to GABA, giving material that is vegan and free of any animal input — a point most supplement buyers now ask about before they ask about price. Food-grade product assays 99.0–101.0%. The one handling characteristic to plan around is hygroscopicity: GABA pulls moisture from humid air readily, which is why the loss-on-drying limit sits at 5.0% rather than the fractions of a percent typical of other amino acids. Keep drums closed, dose in conditioned air, and blend with a flow agent for tableting. Formats run from capsules and stick-pack beverage powders through gummies and chewables to effervescent tablets, and GABA is also used to fortify fermented foods. Beyond human nutrition there are established feed-grade and agricultural biostimulant markets. Thovek ships food grade as standard, with feed and agricultural grades and 20% carrier dilutions available, each lot supported by HPLC assay, heavy-metal and microbiological data.