Cactus Botanics Launches 5-HTP for Healthy Mood

Cactus Botanics (Shanghai) is now supplying 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a dietary supplement ingredient designed to provide natural support for stress and mild anxiety. The company says 5-HTP has seen higher demand in recent years.

As the company explains, 5-HTP is an immediate precursor to serotonin, a neutrotransmitter that, when in healthy circulating supply, helps regulate mood. Once 5-HTP crosses the blood-brain barrier, it converts to serotonin, catalyzed by the enzyme L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AAAD).

“The U.S. FDA approved 5-HTP for sale as a dietary supplement in 1995, to much delight in the industry and…consumers who do not want pharmaceuticals to help them achieve a moderately steady, healthy mood,” says Carol Cheow, the company’s general manager.

The ingredient is produced fromseeds of African plant Griffonia simplicifolia. Cactus Botanics is now supplying the ingredient in various concentrations, including 25%, 50%, and 98%, as well as customized percentages.