DL-alanine

Basic toxicokinetics

Administrative data

Endpoint:

basic toxicokinetics, other

Type of information:

other: review

Adequacy of study:

supporting study

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

data from handbook or collection of data

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

review article or handbook

Title:

Risk assessment of "other substances" - L-alanine

Author:

VKM (Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety

Year:

2017

Bibliographic source:

VKM Report 2017:12 ISBN: 978-82-8259-269-7

Materials and methods

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

L-alanine

EC Number:

200-273-8

EC Name:

L-alanine

Cas Number:

56-41-7

Molecular formula:

C3H7NO2

IUPAC Name:

L-alanine

Test material form:

solid: particulate/powder

Remarks:

migrated information: powder

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Conclusions:

L-alanine is an ingredient in food supplements sold in Norway. Foods rich in alanine are generally protein rich foods such as meat, dairy products, legumes, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs and whole grains. The overall mean intake of L-alanine from food and food supplements in the United States was 3.6 g/day. L-alanine is a naturally occurring non-essential α-amino acid belonging to the group of the 20 amino acids that are normal components of food proteins. L-alanine acts as an intermediary between protein catabolism and carbohydrate synthesis. It can be easily synthesised from the alpha keto acid pyruvate and has close links to several metabolic pathways including glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and the citric acid cycle. Together with lactate it is capable of generating glucose from muscle protein through gluconeogenesis in the liver. Alanine thus plays a central role in the metabolism of muscle protein and is a key factor in nitrogen metabolism.