-DOPA (-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine; INN levodopa; trade names Sinemet, Parcopa, Atamet, Stalevo, Madopar, Prolopa, etc. ) is a naturally occurring dietary supplement and psychoactive drug found in certain kinds of food and herbs (e.g. , Mucuna pruriens, or velvet bean), and is synthesized from the amino acid -tyrosine in the mammalian body and brain. -DOPA is the precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline) collectively known as catecholamines. Aside from its natural and essential biological role, -DOPA is also used in the clinical treatment of Parkinson's disease and dopamine-responsive dystonia...