L-Tryptophan by MP Biomedicals is a high purity amino acid. This is an -amino acid which contains an -amino group, an -carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a non-polar aromatic amino acid. It is essential in humans, since the body cannot synthesize it, and must be obtained from the diet. Plants and microorganisms mostly synthesize tryptophan from shikimic acid or anthranilate. Industrially, tryptophan is synthesized by the fermentation of serine and indole using either wild-type or genetically modified bacteria. CAS No. 73-22-3 Quantity Provided: 25 gm per pack Molecular Formula: C11H12N2O2 Molecular Weight: 204.2 Soluble in water L-Tryptophan is widely used in chemical and biological sectors. It is used as a precursor to niacin, indole alkaloids and serotonin. It also acts as an important intrinsic fluorescent probe, which functions to estimate the nature of microenvironment of the tryptophan. Tryptophan affects brain serotonin synthesis when given orally in a purified form, and is used to modify serotonin levels for research. Low brain serotonin level is induced by the administration of tryptophan-poor protein in a technique called "acute tryptophan depletion".