L-Malic acid

Description

L-Malic acid is nearly odorless (sometimes a faint, acrid odor) with a tart, acidic taste. It is nonpungent. May be prepared by hydration of maleic acid; by fermentation from sugars.

Description

Malic acid, a hydroxydicarboxylic acid, is found in all forms of life. It exists naturally only as the L-enantiomer. It should not be confused with the similar sounding maleic? and malonic?acids.
L-Malic acid gives many fruits, particularly apples, their characteristic flavor. It is often referred to as “apple acid”. The word malic is derived from the Latin mālum, for which Malus, the genus that contains all apple species, is also named.
The global market size for malic acid (natural and manufactured1) is ≈US$200 million; the US market is ≈$35 million. The primary end use in the United States is for flavoring beverages, foods, and confectionaries, with much smaller quantities used in cosmetics and personal care products. The price of malic acid ranges from US$0.90 to $10.00/kg, depending on the purity, quantity, and end use.
1. The manufactured product is racemic.

The Uses of L-Malic acid

L-Malic acid is used as a food additive, Selective α-amino protecting reagent for amino acid derivatives. Versatile synthon for the preparation of chiral compounds including κ-opioid receptor agonists, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 analogue, and phoslactomycin B.