N-(a-Linolenoyl) Tyrosine

Certain chronic neurologic disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, are caused by an insufficiency of the neurotransmitter dopamine secondary to the degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons.{7161} N-(a-Linolenoyl) tyrosine (NALT) is a simple a-amide conjugate between the w-3 essential fatty acid a-linolenate and the amino acid tyrosine. a-Linolenate is an important precursor to docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a prominent brain polyunsaturated fatty acid, while tyrosine is the metabolic precursor for neuronal dopamine synthesis. NALT was prepared as a method for enhancing central nervous system (CNS) dopamine content by facilitated transport of the tyrosine precursor across the blood-brain barrier.{10323} In experimental rat models of dopamine insufficiency, NALT increased CNS dopamine levels and exhibited an activity profile consistent with an anti-Parkinson’s therapeutic agent.{10323}