Brief Introduction

Synonyms---Velvet Bean, Cowitch, Cowhage, Cow-itch, Buffalo Bean, and etc.(See below)

L-Dopa (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine; Levodopa; Sinemet, Parcopa, Atamet, Stalevo, Madopar, Prolopa, etc)

Chemical Name:(S)-2-amino-3-(3, 4-dihydroxyphenyl) propanoic acid

Molecular Formula: C₉H₁₁NO₄

Mol. Wt.: 197.19 g/mol

Molecular Structure:

Mucuna pruriensis a tropical legume known as velvet bean and cowitch and by a multitude of common names: Atmagupta in Sanskrit language, Kapikacchu in Sanskrit language, Kiwanch or Konch in Hindi language, Khaajkuiri in Marathi, Alkushi (Bengali), poonaikkaali in Tamil, Velvet bean in English language, Cowitch in English language, Cowhage, Juckbohne (German: "Itch bean"), Picapica, Kapikachu, Yerepe (Yoruba), Feijão Malucos (Angola and Mozambique. Portuguese: "Mad Bean"), Naykaranam (Malayalam), Mah Mui in Thai language, ??u mèo r?ng, ??u ng?a, móc mèo in Vietnamese language. The plant is an annual, climbing shrub with long vines that can reach over 15 m in length. When the plant is young, it is almost completely covered with fuzzy hairs, but when older, it is almost completely free of hairs. Mucuna pruriens bears white, lavender, or purple flowers. Its seed pods are about 10 cm long and are covered in loose orange hairs that cause a severe itch if they come in contact with skin. The chemical compounds responsible for the itch are a protein, mucunain, and serotonin. The seeds are shiny black or brown drift seeds. It is found in tropical Africa, India, South-West of China, and the Caribbean. The dry weight of the seeds is 55 to 85 g/100 seeds.

In many parts of the world Mucuna pruriens is used as an important forage, fallow and green manure crop. Since the plant is in the legume family (peas and beans), it, with the help of nitrogen fixing bacteria, takes nitrogen gas from the air and combines it with other chemical compounds producing fertilizer and improving the soil.Mucuna pruriens is a widespread fodder plant in the tropics. To that end, the whole plant is fed to animals as silage, dried hay or dried seeds. Mucuna pruriens silage contains 11-23% crude protein, 35-40% crude fiber, and the dried beans 20-35% crude protein. Mucuna pruriens is used in the countries of Benin and Vietnam as a biological control for problematic Imperata cylindrica grass. Mucuna pruriens is said to not be invasive outside its cultivated area.

Mucuna pruriensis sometimes used as a coffee substitute called "Nescafe" (not to be confused with the commercial brand). Cooked fresh shoots or beans can also be eaten. This requires that they be soaked from at least 30 minutes to 48 hours in advance of cooking, or the water changed up to several times during cooking, since otherwise the plant can be toxic to humans. The above described process leaches out chemical compounds such as levodopa, making the product suitable for consumption. If consumed in large quantities as food, unprocessed Mucuna pruriens is toxic to nonruminant mammals including humans.

In history, M. pruriens has been used as an effective aphrodisiac. It is still used to increase libido in both men and women due to its dopamine inducing properties. Dopamine has a profound influence on sexual function. A typical dose for a man is 15 g of ground seeds mixed with cow's milk.

Mucuna pruriensseeds have also been found to have antidepressant properties when consumed.

Mucuna prurienshas also recently become popular among lucid dreaming enthusiasts: when combined with other supplements that stimulate the cholinergic system, the dopamine presumably produced from the consumption of Mucuna pruriens confers upon the lucid dreamer greater motivation and confidence.

The hairs lining the seed pods contain 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) which causes severe itching (pruritis). The hairs on the outside of the pods of Mucuna pruriens are a common ingredient in itching powder. "Mucuna pruriens" is used in Siddha medicines for a quite long time for improving sexual function; to cure 'pakka vaatham'(paralysis", leucorrhoea etc.

Mucuna pruriensseeds contain high concentrations of levodopa, a direct precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It has long been used in traditional Ayurvedic Indian medicine for diseases including Parkinson's Disease. In large amounts (e.g. 30 g dose) it has been shown to be as effective as pure levodopa/carbidopa in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, but no data on long-term efficacy and tolerability is available.

In addition to levodopa, Mucuna also contains serotonin (5-HT), 5-HTP, nicotine, N,N-DMT (DMT), bufotenine, and 5-MeO-DMT. As such, it could potentially have psychedelic effects, and it has purportedly been used in ayahuasca preparations.

The mature seeds of the plant contain about 3.1-6.1% L-DOPA, with trace amounts of 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin), nicotine, DMT-n-oxide, bufotenine, 5-MeO-DMT-n-oxide, and beta-carboline. One study using 36 samples of the seeds found no tryptamines present in them. The leaves contain about 0.5% L-DOPA, 0.006% dimethyltryptamine (DMT), 0.0025% 5-MeO-DMT and 0.003% DMT n-oxide.

L-DOPA(L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine; Levodopa; Sinemet, Parcopa, Atamet, Stalevo, Madopar, Prolopa, etc) is a naturally-occurring dietary supplement and psychoactive drug found in certain kinds of food and herbs (e.g., Mucuna pruriens, or velvet bean), and is synthesized from the essential amino acids L-phenylalanine (PHE) and L-tyrosine (TYR) in the mammalian body and brain. L-DOPA is the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline) collectively known as catecholamines. Aside from its natural and essential biological role, L-DOPA is also used in the clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dopamine-responsive dystonia (DRD).

L-DOPA is used to increase dopamine concentrations in the treatment of PD and DRD, since it is capable of crossing the protective blood-brain barrier (BBB), whereas dopamine itself cannot. Once L-DOPA has entered the central nervous system (CNS), it is converted into dopamine by the enzyme aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), also known as DOPA decarboxylase (DDC). Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP; Vitamin B6) is a required cofactor in this reaction, and may occasionally be administered along with L-DOPA, usually in the form of pyridoxine.

Besides the CNS, L-DOPA is also converted into dopamine from within the peripheral nervous system (PNS). This property is the cause of many of the adverse side-effects seen with sole L-DOPA administration. In order to bypass these effects, it is standard clinical practice to co-administer a peripheral DOPA decarboxylase inhibitor (DDCI) such as carbidopa (Lodosyn, Sinemet, Parcopa, Atamet, Stalevo) or benserazide (Madopar, Prolopa) with L-DOPA in augmentation, for the purpose of preventing the peripheral synthesis of dopamine from L-DOPA. Co-administration of pyridoxine without a DDCI accelerates the peripheral decarboxylation of L-DOPA to such an extent that it negates the effects of L-DOPA administration, a phenomenon that historically caused great confusion.

In addition, L-DOPA, co-administered with a peripheral DDCI, has been investigated as a potential treatment for restless leg syndrome (RLS). However, studies have demonstrated "no clear picture of reduced symptoms".

There are two types of response seen with administration of LD:

• Short-duration response, which is related to the half-life of the drug
• Longer-duration response, which depends on the accumulation of effects over at least two weeks. This response is evident only in early therapy, as the inability of the brain to store dopamine is not yet a concern.

Dietary supplements: Herbal supplements containing standardized dosages of L-DOPA are available without a prescription. These supplements have recently increased in both availability and popularity in the United States (U.S.) and on the internet. The most common plant source of L-DOPA marketed in this manner is Mucuna pruriens (Velvet Bean).

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), found in Camellia sinensis (Tea Plant, also known as Black, White, Oolong, Pu-erh, or Green Tea), is purportedly a natural and potent DDCI, though it is unknown as to whether it is selectively peripheral and not also central in action.

Marine adhesion: L-DOPA is a key compound in the formation of marine adhesive proteins, such as those found in mussels. It is believed to be responsible for the water-resistance and rapid curing abilities of these proteins. L-DOPA may also be used to prevent surfaces from fouling by bonding antifouling polymers to a susceptible substrate.

The Mucuna Pruriens Extract (L-Dopa) used in dietary supplements is derived from the seeds, roots, legumes, or leaves of the plant Mucuna pruriens L..

Benefits

•Aphrodisiac Effects

•Anti-depressant Effects

•Antiparkinsonian Effects

Mechanism

Biological role

L-DOPA is produced from the amino acid L-tyrosine by the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). It is also the precursor for the monoamine or catecholamine neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline). Dopamine is formed by the decarboxylation of L-DOPA.

L-DOPA can be directly metabolized by catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) to 3-O-methyldopa (3-OMD), and then further to vanillactic acid (VLA). This metabolic pathway is non-existent in the healthy body, but becomes important after peripheral L-DOPA administration in patients with PD or in the rare cases of patients with aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) enzyme deficiency.

 The prefix L- references its property of levorotation (compared with dextrorotation or D-DOPA).

L-Phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, and L-DOPA, are all are precursors to the biological pigment melanin. The enzyme tyrosinase catalyzes the oxidation of L-DOPA to the reactive intermediate dopaquinone, which reacts further, eventually leading to melanin oligomers.

Safety

Herbal supplements containing standardized dosages of L-DOPA are available without a prescription. These supplements have recently increased in both availability and popularity in the United States (U.S.) and on the internet. The most common plant source of L-DOPA marketed in this manner is Mucuna pruriens (Velvet Bean).

Toxicity: Some scientific studies suggest a cytotoxic role in the promotion and occurrence of adverse effects associated with L-DOPA treatment. Though the drug is generally safe in humans, some researchers have reported an increase in cytotoxicity markers in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cell lines treated with L-DOPA.Other authors have attributed the observed toxic effects of L-DOPA in neural dopamine cell lines to enhanced formation of quinones through increased auto-oxidation and subsequent cell death in mesencephalic cell cultures. Though L-DOPA is generally considered safe, some controversy surrounds its use in the treatment of PD, given some data indicating a deleterious effect on intracellular and neuronal tissue involved in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Side-effects: The side-effects of L-DOPA may include:

• Hypotension, especially if the dosage is too high
• Arrhythmias, although these are uncommon
• Nausea, which is often reduced by taking the drug with food, although protein interferes with drug absorption
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Disturbed respiration, which is not always harmful, and can actually benefit patients with upper airway obstruction
• Hair loss
• Disorientation and confusion
• Extreme emotional states, particularly anxiety, but also excessive libido
• Vivid dreams and/or insomnia
• Auditory and/or visual hallucinations
• Effects on learning; there is some evidence that it improves working memory, while impairing other complex functions
• Somnolence and narcolepsy
• A condition similar to stimulant psychosis

Although there are many adverse effects associated with L-DOPA, in particular psychiatric ones, it has fewer than other antiparkinsonian agents, such as anticholinergics and dopamine receptor agonists.

More serious are the effects of chronic levodopa administration, which include:

• End-of-dose deterioration of function
• On/off oscillations
• Freezing during movement
• Dose failure (drug resistance)
• Dyskinesia at peak dose
• Possible serotonin depletion: Recent studies have demonstrated that use of L-DOPA without simultaneously giving proper levels of serotonin precursors depletes serotonin
• Possible dopamine dysregulation: The long-term use of L-DOPA in PD has been linked to the so-called dopamine dysregulation syndrome.

Clinicians will try to avoid these side-effects by limiting L-DOPA doses as much as possible until absolutely necessary.

Dosage

•  The typical dose is 300-900mg per day (usually in 2-3 doses throughout the day).
•  Consult physicians for different condition specifics.

GNI’s Mucuna pruriens Extract (L-Dopa) Features and Benefits:

Mucuna pruriens Extract (L-Dopa) is one of GNI's most competitive products, with many advantages as list in the following, produced as our patent-pending process and know-how technology from Mucuna pruriens L. seeds.

•  Produced with pure water only

•  High purity: over 95%

•  NO solvent - residual free

•  Pesticide-free

•  Crystal white in appearance

•  High solubility in water

•  High anti-bacteria, and longer shelf life

Product Specifications:

10%-95% L -Dopa HPLC

20:1