4- L-DOPA

CHEMICAL NAME = 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzene- 1,2-diol CAS NUMBER = 51-61-6 MOLECULAR FORMULA = C8H N02 MOLAR MASS = 153.2 g/mol COMPOSITION = C(62.7°/o) 0(20.9%) H(7.2%) N(9.1%) MELTING POINT = 128°C BOILING POINT = decomposes DENSITY (CALCULATED) = 1.25 g/cm3 

Dopamine, abbreviated DA, is a biosynthetic compound and neurotransmitter produced in the body from the amino acid tyrosine by several pathways. It is synthesized in the adrenal gland where it is a precursor to other hormones (see Epinephrine) and in several portions of the brain, principally the substantia nigra and hypothalamus. Dopamine is stored in vesicles in the brain s presynaptic nerve terminals. It is closely associated with its immediate precursor, L-Dopa (levodopa). Casmir Funk (1884—1967) first synthesized Dopa in racemic form 

L-Dopa was produced industrially by Hoffrnann-LaRoche, using a modification of the Erlenmeyer synthesis for amino acids. In the 1960s, research at Monsanto focused on increasing the L-Dopa form rather than producing the racemic mixture. A team led by William S. Knowles (1917—) was successful in producing a rhodium-diphosphine catalyst called DiPamp that resulted in a 97.5% yield of L-Dopa when used in the Hoffrnann-LaRoche process. Knowles s work produced the first industrial asymmetric synthesis of a compound. Knowles was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work. Work in the last decade has led to green chemistry synthesis processes of L-Dopa using benzene and catechol. 

CHEMICAL NAME = 4-(l-hydroxy-2-(methylamino)ethyl) benzene-1,2-diol CAS NUMBER = 51-43-4 MOLECULAR FORMULA = C9H13N03 MOLAR MASS = 183.2 g/mol 

MELTING POINT = 21 -212 BOILING POINT = decomposes at 215°C DENSITY = 1.3 g/cm3 (calculated) 

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FIGURE 27 5 Tyrosine is the biosynthetic precursor to a number of neurotransmit ters Each transformation IS enzyme catalyzed Hydroxy lation of the aromatic ring of tyrosine converts it to 3 4 dihyd roxyphenylalanine (l dopa) decarboxylation of which gives dopamine Hy droxylation of the benzylic carbon of dopamine con verts It to norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and methy lation of the ammo group of norepinephrine yields epi nephrine (adrenaline)... 

By analogy, a great many of other functionalized styrenes, including carboxyHc acids, amino acids, Schiff bases, or specific compounds, eg, l-DOPA, have successfully been appHed as print templates. Moreover, it has also been shown that siUca gel can be imprinted with similar templates, and that the resulting gel has specific recognition sites determined by the print molecule (162—164). 

Acetylcholine Precursors. Early efforts to treat dementia using cholinomimetics focused on choline [62-49-7] (12) supplement therapy (Fig. 3). This therapy, analogous to L-dopa [59-92-7] therapy for Parkinson s disease, is based on the hypothesis that increasing the levels of choline in the brain bolsters acetylcholine (ACh) synthesis and thereby reverses deficits in cholinergic function. In addition, because choline is a precursor of phosphatidylcholine as well as ACh, its supplementation may be neuroprotective in conditions of choline deficit (104). 

The neurotransmitter must be present in presynaptic nerve terminals and the precursors and enzymes necessary for its synthesis must be present in the neuron. For example, ACh is stored in vesicles specifically in cholinergic nerve terminals. It is synthesized from choline and acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) by the enzyme, choline acetyltransferase. Choline is taken up by a high affinity transporter specific to cholinergic nerve terminals. Choline uptake appears to be the rate-limiting step in ACh synthesis, and is regulated to keep pace with demands for the neurotransmitter. Dopamine [51 -61-6] (2) is synthesized from tyrosine by tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine to L-dopa (3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) (3), and dopa decarboxylase, which converts L-dopa to dopamine. 

Catecholamines. The catecholamines, epinephrine (EPl adrenaline) (85), norepinephrine (NE noradrenaline) (86) (see Epinephrine and norepinephrine), and dopamine (DA) (2), are produced from tyrosine by the sequential formation of L-dopa, DA, NE, and finally EPl. EPl and NE produce their physiological effects via CC- and -adrenoceptors, a-Adrenoceptors can be further divided into CC - and a2-subtypes which in turn are divided... 

Asymmetric synthesis is a method for direct synthesis of optically active amino acids and finding efficient catalysts is a great target for researchers. Many exceUent reviews have been pubHshed (72). Asymmetric syntheses are classified as either enantioselective or diastereoselective reactions. Asymmetric hydrogenation has been appHed for practical manufacturing of l-DOPA and t-phenylalanine, but conventional methods have not been exceeded because of the short life of catalysts. An example of an enantio selective reaction, asymmetric hydrogenation of a-acetamidoacryHc acid derivatives, eg, Z-2-acetamidocinnamic acid [55065-02-6] (6), is shown below and in Table 4 (73). 

L-Dopa and Trimethoprim are two other dmgs that can be made from vanillin. u-Dopa is used for the treatment of Parkinson s disease Trimethoprim is an antiinfective agent used mainly for urinary tract infections and certain venereal diseases. Also, Mebeverine, an antispasmodic agent, and Verazide, a generic antitubercular agent, are dmgs that can be made from vanillin or its derivatives. 

Chira.lHydrogena.tion, Biological reactions are stereoselective, and numerous dmgs must be pure optical isomers. Metal complex catalysts have been found that give very high yields of chiral products, and some have industrial appHcation (17,18). The hydrogenation of the methyl ester of acetamidocinnamic acid has been carried out to give a precusor of L-dopa, ie, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, a dmg used in the treatment of Parkinson s disease. 

The strategy of the catalyst development was to use a rhodium complex similar to those of the Wilkinson hydrogenation but containing bulky chiral ligands in an attempt to direct the stereochemistry of the catalytic reaction to favor the desired L isomer of the product (17). Active and stereoselective catalysts have been found and used in commercial practice, although there is now a more economical route to L-dopa than through hydrogenation of the prochiral precursor. 

Fig. 4. Schematic representation of energy profiles for the pathways for the hydrogenation of a prochiral precursor to make L-dopa (19). The chiral...

The original commercial source of E was extraction from bovine adrenal glands (5). This was replaced by a synthetic route for E and NE (Eig. 1) similar to the original pubHshed route of synthesis (6). Eriedel-Crafts acylation of catechol [120-80-9] with chloroacetyl chloride yields chloroacetocatechol [99-40-1]. Displacement of the chlorine by methylamine yields the methylamine derivative, adrenalone [99-45-6] which on catalytic reduction yields (+)-epinephrine [329-65-7]. Substitution of ammonia for methylamine in the sequence yields the amino derivative noradrenalone [499-61-6] which on reduction yields (+)-norepinephrine [138-65-8]. The racemic compounds were resolved with (+)-tartaric acid to give the physiologically active (—)-enantiomers. The commercial synthesis of E and related compounds has been reviewed (27). The synthetic route for L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine [59-92-7] (l-DOPA) has been described (28). 

Research for an antidepressant among non-tricyclic compounds with pharmacological effects qualitatively different from those of the conventional tricyclic compounds led to the preparation and testing of a series of indazole derivatives for reserpine-like activity in mice. l-[3-(Dimethylamino)propyl]-5-methyl-3-phenyl-l//-indazole (FS-32 692) antagonizes reserpine-induced effects and potentiates amphetamine-induced self-stimulation and l-Dopa-induced increase in motor activity. FS-32 produces an anticholinergic action mainly on the central nervous System, while the action of imipramine occurs centrally as well as peripherally (79AF511). 

Acetyl hypofluorite gas is used in a reaction with an arylmercunc acetate to produce a derivative of L-DOPA [56] (equauon 30). 

The results given in both Table 1 and in the reviews [4, 5 7, 8, I0 show that xenon difluoride reacts with a wide variety of aromatic substrates to produce regioselecuvely monofluorinated aromatics An example is the preparation of 6-fluoro-L DOPA [83] (equation 48)... 

Monsanto s commercial route to the Parkinson s drug, L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine), utilizes an Erlenmeyer azlactone prepared from vanillin. The pioneering research in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation by William Knowles as exemplified by his reduction of 24 to 25 in 95% ee with the DiPAMP diphosphine ligand was recognized with a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001. ... 

After concentrating the filtrate to approximately 400 ml, solids started crystallizing out at which time the filtrate was cooled by refrigerating at 5°C for several hours. Filtration gave 1B.7 g of L-Dopa, MP 284° to 286°C (dec.) [oJd 8.81° (1% solution in aqueous 4% HCI). The infrared spectrum and paper chromatography indicated very good L-Dopa according to U.S. Patent 3,253,023. 

An early success story in the field of catalytic asymmetric synthesis is the Monsanto Process for the commercial synthesis of l-DOPA (4) (see Scheme 1), a rare amino acid that is effective in the treatment of Parkinson s disease.57 The Monsanto Process, the first commercialized catalytic asymmetric synthesis employing a chiral transition metal complex, was introduced by W. S. Knowles and coworkers and has been in operation since 1974. This large-scale process for the synthesis of l-DOPA (4) is based on catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation, and its development can be... 

Scheme 1 The Monsanto synthesis of l-DOPA (4) using catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation.

Together with dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline belong to the endogenous catecholamines that are synthesized from the precursor amino acid tyrosine (Fig. 1). In the first biosynthetic step, tyrosine hydroxylase generates l-DOPA which is further converted to dopamine by the aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase ( Dopa decarboxylase). Dopamine is transported from the cytosol into synaptic vesicles by a vesicular monoamine transporter. In sympathetic nerves, vesicular dopamine (3-hydroxylase generates the neurotransmitter noradrenaline. In chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, approximately 80% of the noradrenaline is further converted into adrenaline by the enzyme phenylethanolamine-A-methyltransferase. 

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