L-DOPA
Also called levodopa, Levodopum and Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine.
The molecule the brain turns into dopamine, and the cornerstone of Parkinson's treatment. It occurs naturally in fava beans and velvet beans.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Dispensed on prescription, not sold on a shelf.
Sources and notes
- The line abovefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedFrom the group the molecule belongs to.
Explore its structure
Choose a part to light it up.
A carbon carrying both a C=O and an O-H, written COOH. In water it gives up that hydrogen, which is what makes the molecule an acid.
From: standard chemistry.
An O-H fixed directly to a benzene ring. The ring makes that hydrogen easier to give up than an ordinary alcohol's, which is why many phenols act as antioxidants.
From: standard chemistry.
A nitrogen carrying one or two hydrogens. Its spare pair of electrons can pick up a hydrogen ion, so an amine is a base.
From: standard chemistry.
Sources and notes
- The drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKitThe page's one shipped drawing, with the chosen part lit in amber under it.
- The partscomputedFound by ruleEach part is found by a chemical pattern, never picked by hand atom by atom; its words say where they come from.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C9H11NO4
- Molecular weight
- 197.19 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- −2.7
- Polar surface areatopological
- 104 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 4
- H-bond acceptors
- 5
- Rotatable bonds
- 3
- Complexity
- 209
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
1,780 mg/kg pure L-DOPA, rat, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA via PubChem
Danger Irritant pictogram (GHS07), Health hazard pictogram (GHS08) and Environmental pictogram (GHS09); hazard statements H302, H315, H319, H335, H361, H372, H411, H412
Reported Licence
The US Food and Drug Administration licenses L-DOPA for human use (NDA 209184, authorized December 21, 2018), as Inbrija. Drugs@FDA
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Prescription medicine
- Family
- Parkinson's medicines
- Chemical groups
- Carboxylic Acids, Amines, Aromatics, Phenols
- Elements
- Nitrogen
- Hazard classes
- Irritant, Health hazard, Environmental hazard, GHS Danger
C1=CC(=C(C=C1C[C@@H](C(=O)O)N)O)OPubChem CID 6047 · Wikidata Q300989 · InChIKey WTDRDQBEARUVNC-LURJTMIESA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is L-DOPA?
- The molecule the brain turns into dopamine, and the cornerstone of Parkinson's treatment. It occurs naturally in fava beans and velvet beans.
- How toxic is L-DOPA?
- The reported LD50 of L-DOPA is 1,780 mg/kg (rat, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Irritant, Health hazard and Environmental. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is L-DOPA?
- L-DOPA has the formula C9H11NO4 and a molecular weight of 197.19 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under Parkinson's medicines, in the prescription medicine group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is L-DOPA called?
- L-DOPA is also called levodopa, Levodopum and Dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine. from source
- Who licenses L-DOPA as a medicine?
- The US Food and Drug Administration licenses L-DOPA for human use (NDA 209184, authorized December 21, 2018), as Inbrija. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChemOther values the sources report: mouse, oral, 2,363 mg/kg; mouse, another route, 588 mg/kg; rat, another route, 624 mg/kg. The page shows the one LD50 the site uses everywhere.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- Licencefrom sourceDrugs@FDARead 2026-10-21.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09
Keep exploring
More related molecules
- Levothyroxine Both carry a phenol, a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- Thyroxine Both carry a phenol, a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- 5-Hydroxytryptophan Both carry a phenol, a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- Tryptophan Both carry a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- Histidine Both carry a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- Serine Both carry a carboxylic acid and an amine group.
- Norepinephrine Both carry a phenol and an amine group.
Sources and notes
- Similar in shapecomputedRDKit Morgan/TanimotoNeighbours by structural fingerprint; the sentence names the chemical groups the two share.
- The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit