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. 1996 Mar;10(1):21-47.
doi: 10.1007/BF00806091.

L-Tryptophan: Biochemical, nutritional and pharmacological aspects

E L Sainio  1 , K Pulkki, S N Young
Affiliations

L-Tryptophan: Biochemical, nutritional and pharmacological aspects

E L Sainio et al. Amino Acids. 1996 Mar.

Abstract

Tryptophan is important both for protein synthesis and as a precursor of niacin, serotonin and other metabolites. Tryptophan is an unusual amino acid because of the complexity of its metabolism, the variety and importance of its metabolites, the number and diversity of the diseases it is involved in, and because of its use in purified form as a pharmacological agent. This review covers the metabolism of tryptophan, its presence in the diet, the disorders associated with low tryptophan levels due to low dietary intake, malabsorption, or high rates of metabolism, the therapeutic effects of tryptophan and the side effects of tryptophan when it is used as a drug including eosinophilia myalgia syndrome.

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