3-O-Methyldopa (original) (raw)

3-O-Methyldopa (3-OMD) is one of the most important metabolites of L-DOPA, a drug used in the treatment of the Parkinson's disease. 3-O-methyldopa is produced by the methylation of L-DOPA by the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase. The necessary cofactor for this enzymatic reaction is s-adenosyl methionine (SAM). Its half-life (approximately 15 hours) is longer than L-DOPA's half-life, which is about one hour. This means that it is accumulated in the plasma and the brain of chronic L-DOPA therapy patients such as people suffering from Parkinson's disease.