tryptophan
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
- Drugs.com - Tryptophan
- WebMd - Top Foods High in Tryptophan
- MedicineNet - l-tryptophan
- National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Analysis, Nutrition, and Health Benefits of Tryptophan
- Frontiers - Tryptophan Metabolic Pathways and Brain Serotonergic Activity: A Comparative Review
- Sleep Foundation - What Is Tryptophan?
- Verywell Health - What is Tryptophan?
- Healthline - What is Tryptophan?
- Related Topics:
- amino acid
- niacin
- indole
- serotonin
Recent News
tryptophan, an amino acid that is nutritionally important and occurs in small amounts in proteins. It is an essential amino acid, meaning that humans and certain other animals cannot synthesize it and must obtain it from their diets. Infants require greater amounts of tryptophan than adults to ensure normal growth and development. Tryptophan is used by the body to manufacture several important substances, including the neurotransmitter serotonin and the vitamin niacin. Diets poor in tryptophan can lead to pellagra, a disease resulting from niacin deficiency; however, this disease is now rare in developed countries. In 1901 the English biochemist Frederick G. Hopkins isolated tryptophan from casein, the major protein found in milk. The chemical structure of tryptophan is