L-Phenylalanine is an aromatic organic compound containing amine and acid as functional groups. It is an essential amino acid and its structure can be considered as the derivative of 3-phenylpropionic acid, in which one hydrogen atom present at C-2 position is substituted with amino group. It is a chiral compound and consists of two optical isomers. It is also known as 2-amino-3-phenylpropanoic acid, beta-phenylalanine, L-alfa-amino-beta-phenylpropionic acid, H-Phe-OH and (S)-2-amino-3-phenylpropionic acid.
This Thermo Scientific Chemicals brand product was originally part of the Alfa Aesar product portfolio. Some documentation and label information may refer to the legacy brand. The original Alfa Aesar product / item code or SKU reference has not changed as a part of the brand transition to Thermo Scientific Chemicals.
General Description
- L-Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid found in several dietary sources, including meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk
- Phenylalanine can be converted into the amino acid tyrosine
Application
- L-Phenylalanine is used in the synthesis of other amino acids
- It can be used as a precursor for the skin pigment melanin as well as the monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine (noradrenaline), and epinephrine (adrenaline)
- It is used to biochemically form proteins coded by DNA
- Due to its ability to absorb ultraviolet radiation, it is used to quantify the amount of protein
- In research, it is used as an alkaline phosphatase inhibitor