Vitamins

Lec.1: Dr.
Nahida

Vitamins are naturally occurring organic compounds, required by

the body in trace amounts to perform specific cellular functions.

They are required in small quantities, and they can not be

synthesized by the body in adequate amounts, therefore; they

must be supplied by the diet.

Deficiency of vitamins is called Avitaminosis which results from

either:

1- Deficient intake from the diet e.g.:

-Dietary fads.

-Chronic alcoholism.

-Poverty.

2- Conditioned deficiency: These results from clinical history,

e.g.:

- Gastrointestinal disorder.

- Poor teeth.

- Anorexia.

- Allergies.

- Malabsorption.

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Both types (1&2) cause gradual decrease in tissue function level.

Vitamins

Water-Soluble Fat-Soluble

-B-complex. – Vit. A

-Vit. C (ascorbic acid) -Vit. D

-Vit. K

- Vit. E

B- Complex:

Energy- releasing:

1- Thiamin (Vit. B1)

2- Riboflavin (Vit. B2)

3- Niacin (Vit. B3)

4- Biotin.

5- Pantothenic acid.

Hematopoietic:

1- Folic acid.

2- Vit. B12

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Others:

1- Pyridoxine (Vit. B6)

2- Pyridoxal.

3- Pyridoxamine.

Many of the water- soluble vitamins are precursors of

Coenzymes.

Water- soluble vitamins are not toxic & stored in small

quantities, they are readily excreted in urine, and thus they must

be continually supplied in the diet. Also their absorption requires

the presence of intrinsic factor, which is a glycoprotein secreted

by the stomach thus gasterctomy patients may show a deficiency

symptoms.

Animal food is the only source of Vit. B12.

Metabolism:-

Most water soluble vitamins are absorbed in the hepatic portal

vein, stored, bound to enzymes and transport proteins and

secreted in urine.

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Thiamine (Vit B1):-The active form of vit B1 is Diphosphate,

which is converted by ATP – dependent enzyme

present in brain and liver, diphosphotransferase.

Thiamine pyrophosphate is a coenzyme serves in enzymatic

reactions in which an activated aldehyde unit is transferred.
1) Transketolase reaction is necessary for formation of
glyceraldehyde 3-P.
Ribose 5-p  glyceraldehydes 3-p
2) It is also involved in citric acid cycle:

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 Distribution of Thiamine:- found in most of Plant and

animal food. Unrefined cereal grains and meat are good

sources of Vit B1.

Deficeincy:

Peripheral neuropathy and anorexia  Edema,

cardiovascular and muscular degeneration.

Beri-beri disease is a severe thiamine deficiency

syndrome.

1) Infantile beri-beri include:

Tachycardia, vomiting, convulsions  death if it’s not

treated.

2) Adult beri-beri: is characterized by: Dry skin,

irritability, disorderly thinking & progressive paralysis.

Riboflavin (Vit B2):-

The active forms of riboflavin are:

1- Flavine mononucleotide FMN

2- Flavin adenine dinucleotide FAD

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FMN is formed by ATP- dependant phosphorlation of riboflavin,
while FAD is synthesized by a further reaction with AP in which
the AMP moiety of ATP is transferred to FMN.
It functions as coenzyme; flavo proteins undergo reversible
reduction of iso alloxazine ring  yield the reduced form:
FMNH2 and FADH2.
Distribution of riboflavin:-
Found in milk, egg, liver, yeast and kidney which are good so
sources of riboflavin. It’s synthesized by plants and micro-
organisms but not by mammals.
Deficiency of riboflavin:-
Deficiency symptoms include:-
1- Dermatitis.
2- Cheilosis (fissuring at the corners of the mouth)
3- Glossitis (the tongue appears smooth and purplish)
Niacin: - Nicotinic acid and necotinamide are both coenzymes for
many oxidoreductases.

NH2

Nicotinic Acid Necotinamide

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They act with the enzymes dehydrogenases; which are involved
in Carbohydrate, Lipids and Amino acids metabolism, e.g.: citric
acid cycle.

The mechanism of oxidoreduction involves: a reversible addition

of a hydride ion [H-] to the pyridine ring plus the generation of
a free hydrogen ion [H+].

NAD + AH2  NADH + H +A

Distribution: it is found in most animal and plant food: in

unrefined grains and cereals, milk & meat.
Clinical indications for Niacin:-
a) Deficiency of Niacin weight loss, dermatitis, digestive
disorders (GIT) and depression (central nervous system).
b) Treatment of hyperlipidemia:-
Nicotinic acid is used for lowering S. cholesterol, due to
inhibition of free fatty acid from adipose tissue.
Biotin: - is widely distributed in natural food, it’s a coenzyme in
carboxylation reactions in which it serves as a carrier of
activated Carbon Dioxide.
E.g.:
Biotin
Pyruvate Oxaloacetate
Pyruvate carboxylase

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Distribution of Biotin:-
Biotin is present in almost all food; liver, milk and egg yolk.

Deficiency of Biotin:-
Biotin deficiency doesn’t occur naturally because the vitamin is
widely distributed in food. Also a large percentage of biotin
requirement in human is supplied by intestinal bacteria.
Pantothenic Acid: - the active form of it is the Coenzyme A.
COA occurs in Citric acid cycle, fatty acid synthesis, oxidation
and acylation reactions and cholesterol synthesis. It functions in
the transfers of acyl groups.
e.g.:
COA –SH + Fatty acid  Fatty acyl COA

Pyridoxine:-
Vit. B6 Consists of 3 closely related naturally occurring pyridine
derivatives: 1- pyridoxine 2- pyridoxal 3- Pyridoxamine.

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 HO CH2NH2

CH2OH

H3C Pyridoxamine
N

All these three derivatives are equal in activity as

precursors for the coenzyme; the phosphate derivative –

this coenzyme helps many enzymes of amino acid

metabolism by entering into Schiff base combination

between its aldehyde group and the amino group of an

α- amino acid.

The reactions are: - transamination, deamination,

decarboxylation and condensation.

Transamination:- it’s a transfer of an amino group to α-

ketoglutaric acid as in the enzymes Got and Gpt.

Oxaloacetate + Glutamateaspartate +α- Ketoglutarate

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 Deamination:-

Serine  Pyruvate +NH3

Decarboxylation:-

Histidine  Histamine + Co2

Condensation:-

Glycine + Succinyle CoA  α –aminolevalinic acid

Pyridoxal phosphate also functions in glycogenolysis; in breaking

down of glycogen.

Distribution:-
Vitamin B6 is found in liver, egg, meat, vegetables and bananas.

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Done By: Ala’ Awad

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