D-Phenylalanine Explained

-Phenylalanine (DPA, -Phe), sold under the brand names Deprenon, Sabiben, and Sabiden, is an enantiomer of phenylalanine which is described as an antidepressant and is marketed as a prescription drug for medical use in Argentina.^{[1] [2]} The medication has been marketed since at least the 1970s^[3] and continued to be available by the 2000s.

-Phenylalanine has been found to act as an enkephalinase inhibitor, an inhibitor of enkephalinase enzymes that break down endogenous opioid peptides called enkephalins.^{[4] [5]} It has been found to produce anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-craving effects in animal studies.^{[6] [7] [8]}

See also

• Phenylalanine § D-, L- and DL-phenylalanine

Notes and References

1. Book: Schweizerischer Apotheker-Verein . Index Nominum 2000: International Drug Directory . Medpharm Scientific Publishers . 2000 . 978-3-88763-075-1 . 23 July 2024 . 825.
2. Book: Negwer, M. . Organic-chemical Drugs and Their Synonyms: (an International Survey) . Akademie Verlag . 1994 . 978-3-05-500156-7 . 23 July 2024 . 323 . D-Phenylalanine (●) D-α-Amino-β-phenylpropionic acid = (R)-α-Aminobenzenepropanoic acid S Deprenon "Promeco", D-Phenylalanine, Sabiden U Antidepressant.
3. Book: Unlisted Drugs . Unlisted Drugs Committee of the Pharmaceutical Section, Science-Technology Group, Special Libraries Association . v. 31 . 1979 . 23 July 2024 .
4. Millinger GS . Neutral amino acid therapy for the management of chronic pain . Cranio . 4 . 2 . 157–163 . April 1986 . 3519793 . 10.1080/08869634.1986.11678141.
5. Thanawala V, Kadam VJ, Ghosh R . Enkephalinase inhibitors: potential agents for the management of pain . Curr Drug Targets . 9 . 10 . 887–894 . October 2008 . 18855623 . 10.2174/138945008785909356 .
6. Trachtenberg MC, Blum K . Alcohol and opioid peptides: neuropharmacological rationale for physical craving of alcohol . Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse . 13 . 3 . 365–372 . 1987 . 2825513 . 10.3109/00952998709001520 .
7. Blum K, Baron D, McLaughlin T, Gold MS . Molecular neurological correlates of endorphinergic/dopaminergic mechanisms in reward circuitry linked to endorphinergic deficiency syndrome (EDS) . J Neurol Sci . 411 . 116733 . April 2020 . 32088516 . 10.1016/j.jns.2020.116733 .
8. Blum K, Febo M, Badgaiyan RD, Braverman ER, Dushaj K, Li M, Demetrovics Z . Neuronutrient Amino-Acid Therapy Protects Against Reward Deficiency Syndrome: Dopaminergic Key to Homeostasis and Neuroplasticity . Curr Pharm Des . 22 . 38 . 5837–5854 . 2016 . 27510492 . 10.2174/1381612822666160719111346 .