Ldopa and proteins

["Patrick J. Martin" <73121.1253@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DI a!? ayyyyyRyyyyyyyyyys in this group. Phosphoproteins are combinations with 
phosphorous-containing compounds other than nucleic acid or lecithin.  Casein 
from milk and perhaps vitellin from egg yolk are assigned to this group. 
Chromoproteins are combinations of proteins and pigments.  Hemoglobin combines 
an iron pyrrole complex with protein; ferritin is an iron compound found in the 
liver and spleen; catalase, peroxidase and cytochrome C are iron-rich enzymes 
which assist in biological oxidations; hemocyanin is a copper-containing 
compound found in lower invertebrates; laccase and tyrosinase are 
copper-containing enzymes important in biological oxidations; and chlorophyll 
is a chromoprotein containing magnesium. Lipoproteins are proteins combined 
with lipids.  These occur in cell nuclei, blood, egg yolk, milk and elsewhere.  
These rather ill-defined complexes are present in the thromboplastic factor, 
some viruses and bacterial antigens.  Derived proteins are hydrolysis pro
 ducts of larger proteins.  Proteans are insoluble products resulting from 
hydrolysis with water alone, or assisted by dilute acids or enzymes.  Myosan 
comes from myosin and edestan comes from edistin, for example. Metaproteans or 
infraproteans are derivatives obtained by hydrolysis in acids or alkalis.  
These are insoluble in neutral salt solutions.  Examples are acid metaprotein 
or acid albuminate and alkali metaprotein or alkali albuminate. Coagulated 
proteins are insoluble products obtained by heat or alcohol. Proteoses are 
soluble in water and cannot be coagulated by heating, but they precipitate from 
saturated ammonium sulfate or zinc sulfate. Peptones are also soluble in water 
and not precipitated by heating and do not precipitate from ammonium sulfate.  
Some alkaloidal reagents such as phosphotungstic acid acid will precipitate 
them. Peptides are combinations of two or more amino acids with the amino acid 
joining at the amino group of another.  Now, my question is whi
 ch proteins are most likely to compete with Carbidopa/Ldopa for the

"carriers" in our bloodstream, when we factor in such factors as the digestion 
times, the amino acids obtained and the recombinations required?  If there is 
any interest, I will tabulate the amino acid content of some of these proteins. 
  Maybe gelatin is good and casein is bad ?  Patrick J. 
Martin<73121,1253@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 69,9 medicating for 6 years         ] ids are 
molecules utilized in plants and animals as building blocks for the manufacture 
of proteins.  We digest proteins from plants and animals to obtain these amines 
and amino acids for reassembly into the proteins we need.  Some of the amino 
acids such as Ldopa are decomposed further to obtain neurotransmitters such are 
our dearly beloved dopamine.   The part of this biochemical cycle of interest 
to all of us is the transfer of Ldopa from our digestive tract to our blood to 
our brain for conversion to dopamine.  The "carrier" molecules in our blood are 
limited in capacity so Ldopa must compete with some of the othe
 r amino acids from our digested proteins.  If we limit our protein intake to 
200 grams and our intake of Ldopa is 1 gram (or 1000 milligrams), the 
competition for transport is pretty intense.  Carbidopa retards the conversion 
of Ldopa (and other amino acids) to dopamine (and other amines) in the blood 
before the Ldopa is transferred through the blood-brain barrier to our brain. 
The odds for the desired transfer are somewhat improved from this pessimistic 
scenario because there are more than 20 different amino acids derived from 
digested protein and all of these molecules are not competing for the same 
"carriers".  Also, not all proteins are digested to their amino acids 
immediately in the digestive tract.   There are numerous proteins to confuse 
our speculations.  Native (or simple) proteins hydrolyze directly to the amino 
acids and/or their derivatives.  Albumins are characterized by being soluble in 
water and coagulated by heat.  Examples are egg albumin, serum albumin, la
 ctalbumin from milk, and leucosin from wheat. Globulins are proteins

 that are insoluble in water and coagulated by heat; soluble in salt solutions 
and precipitated from salt solutions as the salt concentration is increased.  
Myosinogen from muscle, edestin from hemp seed, ovoglobulin from egg yolk, 
serum globulin, amandin from almonds, legumin from peas and excelsin from 
Brazil nuts are in this group. Glutelins are insoluble in neutral solvents but 
soluble in dilute acids or bases. Examples are glutenin from wheat and orzenin 
from rice. Prolamins or gliadins are a group of native proteins that are 
soluble in 70 to 80 percent alcohol and insoluble in water or absolute alcohol 
-- 95+percent.  Gliaden from wheat, hordein from barley and zein from corn are 
in this group. Albuminoids or scleroproteins are insoluble in neutral solvents. 
 Elastin from ligaments; collagen from hide, bone and cartilage; and keratin 
from horn are found in this group. Histones are soluble in water and insoluble 
in dilute ammonia.  Solutions of other proteins precipitate
  histones.  The precipitate thus formed is soluble in dilute acids.  Globin is 
from hemoglobin, histone is found in thymus and scombrone is from mackerel. 
Protamines are simpler in structure than the proteins named above.  This group 
is soluble in water; not coagulated by heat; precipitates other proteins from 
water solutions; has strong basic properties and forms stable salts with strong 
mineral acids.  Salmine from salmon, sturine from sturgeon, scombrine from 
mackerel and cyprinine from carp have the characteristics of this group.  
Conjugated proteins consist of  proteins chemically combined with other 
compounds.    Nucleoproteins are combinations of one or more proteins with 
nucleic acid.  Such are found in glandular tissue and in the germ of grains. 
Glycoproteins or glucoproteins are proteins combined with compounds containing 
a carbohydrate group.  Mucin from saliva, osseomucoid from bone and tendomucoid 
from tendon are examplea yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
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