• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.977-980
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• 2011

A new analytical method for measurement of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) in human urine was developed. DOPA from an aqueous solution was converted into an ethoxycarbonyl (EOC) derivative. A tertbutyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) reaction under anhydrous conditions was then attempted for analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in selected ion monitoring mode. A new mass spectral data on DOPA as a tri-EOC/mono-TBDMS derivative was built. This method showed good linearity (r ${\geq}$ 0.999), precision (% relative standard deviation = 3.1-9.2), and accuracy (% relative error = -7.2-8.8), with a detection limit of 0.05 ng/mL. This selective and accurate method of DOPA analysis will be useful for biochemical monitoring of various neurological disorders including Parkinson's disease in biological fluids.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.7.1-7.13
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• 2021

Levodopa (L-DOPA) therapy is normally practised to treat motor pattern associated with Parkinson disease (PD). Additionally, several inhibitory drugs such as Entacapone and Opicapone are also cosupplemented to protect peripheral inactivation of exogenous L-DOPA (~80%) that occurs due to metabolic activity of the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Although, both Entacapone and Opicapone have U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval but regular use of these drugs is associated with high risk of side effects. Thus, authors have focused on in silico discovery of phytochemicals and evaluation of their effectiveness against human soluble COMT using virtual screening, molecular docking, drug-like property prediction, generation of pharmacophoric property, and molecular dynamics simulation. Overall, study proposed, nine phytochemicals (withaphysalin D, withaphysalin N, withaferin A, withacnistin, withaphysalin C, withaphysalin O, withanolide B, withasomnine, and withaphysalin F) of plant Withania somnifera have strong binding efficiency against human COMT in comparison to both of the drugs i.e., Opicapone and Entacapone, thus may be used as putative bioenhancer in L-DOPA therapy. The present study needs further experimental validation to be used as an adjuvant in PD treatment.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2005

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2001

Mammalian tyrosinase plays an important role in the process of melanin polymer biosynthesis by catalyzing the hydroxylation of tyrosine to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine(DOPA) and the oxidation of DOPA to dopaquinone. These processes are major determinant of human skin color and involved in localized hyperpigmentation. Therefore, the enzyme inhibitors have been of great concern as skin-whitening cosmetics. Methanol extracts of 174 oriental herbs were screened for the mushroom tyrosinase inhibitory activity.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.193-200
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• 1996

In eastern Asian region, cosmetic preparations containing the molecues possessing the whitening activity are promising. In this study, 100 plant extracts were screened in order to elucidate the whitening effects using in vitro tyrosinase assay and DOPA autooxidation. Several plant extracts such as Morus alba, Glycyrrhiza glabra showed the inhibitory activity (>50%) against mushroom tyrosinase at the concentration 333$mu extrm{m}$/ml. And plant extracts including Morus alba and Bupleurum falcatum showed the inhibitory activity (>50%) at the concentration of 500($\mu\textrm{g}$/ml against DOPA autooxidation. The IC50 values of the several extracts were also found.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.119-123
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• 2004

The effects of BHSH on L-DOPA-induced increase in dopamine content in PC12 cells were investigated. L-DOPA treatment at $20\;or\;50\;{\mu}M$ increased dopamine content after both 24 and 48 h of incubation in PC12 cells. However, the co-treatments of BHSH $(10-50\;{\mu}M)$ with L-DOPA $(20\;or\;50\;{\mu}M)$ significantly inhibited the increase of dopamine content induced by L-DOPA. BHSH treatment at $10-50\;{\mu}M$ significantly inhibited basal aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) activity in a concentration-dependent manner at 15 min, and then AADC activity was rapidly recovered to the control level at about 2 h. These results indicate that the inhibition of AADC activity by BHSH was, in part, contributed to the early-stage decrease of dopamine content induced by LDOPA in PC12 cells. Taken together, it is proposed that the short-term inhibition of dopamine biosynthesis by BHSH was mediated by the regulation of tyrosine hydroxylace (TH).

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.187-192
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• 2016

The goal of this study was to determine whether gypenosides (GPS) exert protective effects against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA)-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD) with or without long-term 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) treatment. Rats were injected with 6-OHDA in the substantia nigra to induce PD-like symptoms; 14 days after injection, groups of 6-OHDA-lesioned animals were treated for 21 days with GPS (25 or 50 mg/kg) and/or L-DOPA (20 mg/kg). Dopaminergic neuronal cell death was assessed by counting tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunopositive cells in the substantia nigra and measuring levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), and homovanillic acid (HVA) in the striatum. Dopaminergic neuronal cell death induced by 6-OHDA lesions was ameliorated by GPS treatment (50 mg/kg). L-DOPA treatment exacerbated 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell death; however, these effects were partially reversed by GPS treatment (25 and 50 mg/kg). These results suggest that GPS treatment is protective against dopaminergic neuronal cell death in a 6-OHDA-lesioned rat model of PD with long-term L-DOPA treatment. Therefore, GPS may be useful as a phytotherapeutic agent for the treatment of PD.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.409-414
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• 1995

Antioxidative characteristics of dihydroxyphenylalalnine(DOPA), melanin and enzymatic oxidation products of tyrosine(EOPTs) were studied in a model system. EOPTs were prepared by the tyrosine-tyrosinase reaction at pH 6.5 and $25^{\circ}C$ at various time intervals(0~120min). All EOPTs were brown in varied intensities with increased absorption at 200~210, 280, 310~320nm, and 450~490nm. EOPTs obtaiend at the early stage of the reaction(1~3min especially) showed a higher antioxidative activity than those from the later stage on the inhibition of peroxide, conjugated dienoic acid and malonaldehyde formations in linoleic acid autoxidation. Additionally among the substances of tyrosine, DOPA and melanin, DOPA showed the highest antioxidative activity while that of tyrosine was the lowest during the linoleic acid autooxidation. It was observed that DOPA and melanin had the ability of free radical scavenging, which may party contribute to their antioxidative activity.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.111-121
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• 1997

Tyrosinase catalyzes the rate-limiting steps in melanin biosynthesis which is involved in skin-coloring and local hyperpigmentation of human beings, and unfavorable darkening of food products, Inhibitory effects on 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylalanine (dopa) oxidase activity of tyrosinase by 594 kinds of herbal extracts prepared from herbal medicines and wild plants in Korea were estimated. Two herbal extracts prepared from radicis cortex of Morus alba and rhizoma of Curcuma longa were selected as those exhibiting potent inhibitory effects on the enzyme activity. These herbal extracts were subjected to sequential fractionations with methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and polar residue. The inhibitory effects on dopa oxidase activity of tyrosinase were shown in ethyl acetate fraction of Morus alba, and in methylene chloride fraction of Curcuma langa. The ethyl acetate fraction of Marus alba exhibited 50% of inhibition on dopa oxidase activity of tyrosinase at the concentration of 12 ${\mu}g/ml$, and methylene chloride fraction of Curcuma langa at 51 ${\mu}g/ml$.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.485-490
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• 2014

Poria cocas has been reported to be effective in skin whitening. However, the direct effect of P. cocas ethanol extracts (PCEE) on melanin synthesis has not been scientifically studied. To elucidate the direct effect of PCEE on melanogenesis, a 3,4-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DOPA) synthesis assay, tyrosinase activity assay, and Western blotting for melanogenic proteins, including tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1, and TRP-2 were performed in mouse B16F1 cells. The results revealed that PGEE inhibited melanin production in a dose-dependent manner by blocking the synthesis of DOPA. Although the activation of tyrosinase was not affected, the expression levels of TRP-1 and TRP-2 were controlled. These results suggest that PCEE has a whitening effect, indicating that it may be a useful agent in the development of whitening cosmetics.