Tyrosine was discovered with casein in the mid-19th century, l-tyrosine and D-tyrosine are two isomers of tyrosine, of which L-tyrosine is the most widely used, and it’s the configuration of the organism. L- tyrosine plays an important role in the synthesis of melanin.
Melanin distributed in the hair, skin, visual vein layer and other tissues, is a nitrogen-containing melanin, can be produced by melanocytes. In the process of synthesis of melanin, L-tyrosine acts as the precursor of synthesis of melanin. Under the action of tyrosinase, l-tyrosine is catalyzed to hydroxylate into dopamine, and then dopamine is converted into dopamine quinone. Dopamine quinone can react automatically at the beginning, and indolequinone is obtained by side chain, and the synthesis of melanin is achieved by polymerization.
At present, L-tyrosine is mainly used in the medical field as a nutritional agent, as well as in the treatment of hyperthyroidism, encephalitis, poliomyelitis and other diseases.
