Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Gamma Aminobutyric Acid is a four-carbon non-proteinogenic amino acid with the formula C₄H₉NO₂ and CAS 56-12-2, best known as the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of vertebrates.
The compound is a colourless to off-white crystalline solid with a melting point of 203 °C (with decomposition) and high solubility in water. Industrial buyers source it for neuroscience research, dietary ingredient formulation, animal nutrition, and as a building block in agrochemical and pharmaceutical synthesis.
We source bulk Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are mostly in Shandong, Liaoning and Jiangsu. For this ingredient the minimum order is 500 kg, and a smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Minimum order
- 500 kg
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- Function
- Amino acid
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Food Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| Assay | ≥99.0% |
| Loss on Drying | ≤0.5% |
| Residue on Ignition | ≤0.1% |
| pH (5% solution) | 6.5–7.5 |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤10 ppm |
| Arsenic | ≤1 ppm |
| Lead | ≤0.5 ppm |
| Melting Point | 200–204°C |
| Total Plate Count | ≤1000 CFU/g |
| Moisture/Loss on Drying | < 5% |
| Yeast & Mold | < 100 cfu/g |
Common Markets Grades
Material is specified by purity, source, and end-use qualification.
Reagent grade at 99 percent or higher, with characterised impurity profile, supplies academic and contract neuroscience laboratories.
Food and supplement grade at 98 to 99 percent, produced by microbial fermentation, is the dominant commercial volume and reaches capsule, gummy, and beverage compounders as a free-flowing powder.
Pharmaceutical grade at 99.5 percent or higher with full pharmacopoeial-style monograph testing is used in registered medicinal products in certain markets, including approved cerebrovascular preparations.
Feed grade is produced for aquaculture and livestock premixes, where stress reduction and growth performance are the targeted endpoints.
Applications
- Active ingredient in dietary supplements for stress, sleep, and relaxation positioning
- Reference standard and tool compound in neuroscience and pharmacology research
- Substrate in receptor binding assays for GABA-A and GABA-B pharmacology
- Building block for synthesis of pregabalin, gabapentin analogs, and related GABA-mimetic drugs
- Active in functional foods, fermented dairy, and FFC products in Japan
- Component of cosmetic anti-aging serums claiming muscle-tension reduction
- Feed additive in aquaculture to mitigate transport and crowding stress
- Plant biostimulant in foliar applications under abiotic stress conditions
- Ingredient in pet calming products and behavioral chews
- Raw material for production of pyrrolidinone derivatives
- Component of intravenous and oral nootropic preparations in markets that license them
- Calibration standard for HPLC and ion-exchange amino acid analysers
Brands Using Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid on the ingredient label.
- NOW FoodsGABA 750 mg Veg Capsules ↗Supplement Facts identify the active as GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) 750 mg per capsule for neurotransmitter and relaxation support.Label verified 2026-05-24
- SolgarGABA 500 mg Vegetable Capsules ↗Active ingredient is listed by chemistry name as GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) Free Form 500 mg.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Nature's WayGABA Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid 250 mg ↗Product page identifies the active by its chemistry name, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), at 250 mg per serving for calm-mind support.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Source NaturalsSerene Science GABA 750 mg ↗Source Naturals describes the active as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, at 750 mg per serving.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Pure EncapsulationsGABA 700 mg ↗Supplement panel identifies the active by chemistry name: GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) 700 mg per vegetarian capsule.Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Top Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid manufacturers in China.
Kaiyuan Hengtai Nutrition Co., Ltd.9 ingredients in the directory
Nanjing Letop Biotechnology Co., Ltd.4 ingredients in the directory
Richen Nutritional Technology Co., Ltd.6 ingredients in the directory
Shandong Aobo Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.11 ingredients in the directory
Shandong Freda Biotechnology Co., Ltd.8 ingredients in the directory
Techno (Fujian) Food Ingredients Co., Ltd.4 ingredients in the directory
Tianjin Shiji Weikang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.1 ingredient in the directory
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid together with other ingredients such as Glycine, L-Arginine and L-Leucine into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Regulatory treatment varies with the intended use.
As a research and pharmaceutical raw material, GABA is freely traded under harmonised customs codes and is not a controlled substance.
In the United States, dietary supplement use falls under DSHEA notification rather than GRAS food use. Conventional food applications are not generally accepted.
The European Food Safety Authority has not authorised GABA as a novel food for general food use, though limited national supplement registrations exist.
Japan recognises fermentation-derived GABA as a functional food ingredient, with the largest portfolio of registered Foods with Function Claims worldwide. South Korea recognises a blood-pressure claim for functional food use.
Manufacturing Process
Commercial supply is split between microbial fermentation and chemical synthesis.
Fermentation employs lactic acid bacteria carrying glutamate decarboxylase, most often Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, or engineered Escherichia coli. The cells decarboxylate L-glutamate at pH 4 to 5 and release GABA into the broth at high titer.
Downstream processing uses cation exchange resin to capture the amino acid, followed by elution, decolorisation, evaporation, and crystallisation from aqueous ethanol. Final drying and milling produce a low-bulk-density crystalline powder.
Chemical synthesis proceeds either by ammonolysis of gamma-butyrolactone under pressure or by hydrolysis of 2-pyrrolidinone. Both routes generate inorganic salt loads that must be removed before food or pharmaceutical use.
