Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Function of L-DOPA

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in synaptic plasticity, cognition, and the regulation of locomotor control. Studies in experimental model show L-Dopa also helps in the diminution of cholesterol and blood carbohydrate floors. L-DOPA is a metabolic precursor of dopamine that is capable of crossing the blood brain barrier. It is produced from L-tyrosine by trysosine hydroxylase and metabolized by catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT). In the brain L-DOPA is converted to dopamine. It is conventionally used to increase dopamine concentrations in the brain as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease and stroke recovery.1 However L-DOPA has a short half-life and is known to elevate homocysteine concentrations in plasma, which can be neurotoxic and induce oxidative damage.
Mucuna Pruriens, also known as Cowhage, and velvet bean bears a one and the same cogent neurotransmitter pre-cursor L-Dopa. It is produced endogenously in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area but when administered exogenously cannot cross the blood brain barrier.  Mucuna pruriens is a reputed remedy of Ayurveda in nervous and sexual diseases. Traditionally, Mucuna pruriens is ordinarily expended every bit carminative, hypertensive and hypoglycaemic agent. Mucuna pruriens bears been found to contain L-DOPA, twoscore milligram/deoxyguanosine monophosphate of the plant. The plant/seeds contain the bioactive alkaloids mucunine, mucunadine, mucuadinine, pruriendine and nicotine, besides B-sitosterol, glutathione, lecithin, oils, venolic and gallic acids.
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