14 Dec 2020 --- UK scientists have created a tomato enriched with L-DOPA, an amino acid with uses as both a supplement and a drug for Parkinson’s disease. The team – based at the John Innes Centre – flags that this could offer a new, affordable source of the molecule. “The major therapeutic use of L-DOPA is the increase of dopamine levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease. However, L-DOPA also increases the levels of testosterone and, therefore, has a positive effect on sexual functions and libido in men,” Dr. Eugenio Butelli, a postdoctoral scientist at the John Innes Centre, tells NutritionInsight.
