Novel vinyl derivatives of .alpha.-amino acids of the following general structure: ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen, alkylcarbonyl wherein the alkyl moiety has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and is straight or branched, alkoxycarbonyl wherein the alkoxy moiety has from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and is straight or branched, or ##STR2## wherein R.sub.2 is hydrogen, a straight or branched lower alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzyl or p-hydroxybenzyl; Z is R.sub.1 OCCH.dbd.CH-- or R.sub.1 OC(CH.sub.2).sub.n -- wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 3; each R.sub.1 is the same and is hydroxy, a straight or branched alkoxy group of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, --NR.sub.3 R.sub.4 wherein each of R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is hydrogen or a lower alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and can be the same or different, or ##STR3## wherein R.sub.5 is hydrogen, a straight or branched lower alkyl group of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzyl or p-hydroxybenzyl; and the lactams thereof when Z is R.sub.1 OC(CH.sub.2).sub.n -- and n is 2 or 3; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and individual optical isomers thereof.