Making theanine with the enzyme glutaminase (Taiyo Kagaku)

1. Key points of this patent

What it protects: A method of making theanine from glutamine and ethylamine with the enzyme glutaminase from bacteria, molds or yeasts. The key is to choose enzymes from bacteria such as Bacillus, molds or yeasts that make little of the by-product glutamic acid when making theanine.

2. What the specification says

With enzymes from four Bacillus species, 70–78% of glutamine turned into theanine and 6% or less into glutamic acid. With the earlier Pseudomonas enzyme, 15% or more turned into glutamic acid.

US 8,211,674: what the specification says (share of glutamine converted to each product)

Item	Earlier (Pseudomonas enzyme, Comparative Example 1)	Enzymes in this patent	Where in the specification
Bacteria (4 Bacillus species): theanine	50% or more (figures only)	70–78%	Test Example 1
Bacteria (4 Bacillus species): glutamic acid	15% or more	6% or less	Test Example 1
Molds (2 species): theanine / glutamic acid	50% or more / 10% or more	72–73% / 5% or less	Test Example 2

Item	Details
Patent number	US 8,211,674
Type	Process patent (A patent that protects a manufacturing method)
Related ingredient brand	Suntheanine (ingredient of Taiyo Kagaku, the patent holder)
Ingredients	L-Theanine
Holder / applicant	Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.
Filed	6/22/2005
Registered	7/3/2012
Expires	1/21/2026 (expired)
Notes

1. Key points of this patent

2. What the specification says

3. Patent details