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General description
• L-Tyrosine is the levorotatory isomer of the aromatic amino acid tyrosine, synthesized in vivo from L-phenylalanine
• It is available as a crystalline, off-white powder, stable at room temperature, and soluble in hydrochloric acid
Applications
• In vivo L-tyrosine is involved in protein synthesis and is a precursor to alkaloids such as morphine, neurotransmitters, epinephrine, p-coumaric acid, thyroxine, pigment melanin and catecholamines.
• Used as a supplement, L-tyrosine has been shown to increase levels of the neurotransmitters, dopamine, adrenaline, and norepinephrine in the brain
• It is considered an essential dietary supplement for phenylketonuria patients who lack the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase, and hence cannot convert phenylalanine into tyrosine
• L-tyrosine plays a vital role as an electron-carrier in the process of photosynthesis
• Due to its role in the synthesis of catecholamines, L-tyrosine is also used in research to study its impact on stress
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