VITAMINS

- are organic compounds occurring in natural foods, either as much as or as utilized precursors,
which are required in minute amounts for normal growth, maintenance, and reproduction.

FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS:

VITAMIN A
Synonyms: anti-infective vitamins, retinal
* Role in the physiologic mechanism of vision
* Leads to dryness and roughness of the skin due to suppression of the sweat glands
* Plays a role in the construction of normal bone
* Maintenance of the integrity of epithelial tissue
* Role in growth and the reproduction

Two Forms:
* Vitamin A1or retinol – predominates in the liver and other saltwater fish
*  Vitamin A2or dehydroretinol – predominates in freshwater fish

Deficiency:
* Early symptoms – inability to see in dim light especially after leaving bright light, commonly
noticed in the late afternoon twilight called NYCTALOPIA or NIGHT BLINDNESS.
* Inability to withstand bright light – called PHOTOPHOBIA – due to drying or keratinization of
epithelial tissues involving the eyes.
             - Xerosis conjunctivae – dryness of the conjunctiva, formation of the bitot’s spot.
             - Xerosis cornea
             -  Xeropthalmia – generalized dryness of the ocular tissue.
* Corneal ulcers may develop. When the whole cornea is a soft jelly-like mass, the condition is
known as KERATOMALACIN.

Sources: All yellow and green vegetables, and all yellow fruits

RDA:
Adult:                                                     5000 I.U.
Pregnancy and lactation:                    6000 – 8000 IU
Infants and growing children:            1500-5000 I.U.

VITAMIN D
Synonyms: anti-rachitic vitamin

* ↑ the absorption of Ca and P from the intestine

* ↑ kidney tubular reabsorption of phosphate
* Absorption of vitamin D in the GIT requires the presence of bile salts
* Has a direct effect on the calcium process. It increases the rate of resorption of minerals in the
bone

Two Forms:
* Vitamin D2 – vegetable origin, called activated ergosterol or ergocalciferol
* Vitamin D3 – animal origin, called activated 7-dehydro cholesterol or cholecalciferol

Deficiency:
* Rickets – deficiency in children, characterized by inadequate calcification of cartilage and bone
* Osteomalacia – deficiency in adults, characterized by softening and weakening of the bone.

RDA:
children:         400 I.U
adult:   exposure to sunlight

VITAMIN E
Synonyms: anti-sterility vitamin, fertility vitamin, tocopherols

* Anti-oxidant property
* Maintains integrity of muscles and RBC
* Free tocopherols are readily absorbed from the S.I.
* Gonadal and reproductive function

Deficiency:
* muscle dystrophy
* sterility in animals
* RBCs are easily hemolyzed

Sources:
* Richest natural source (vegetable oil)
* Highest concentration (wheat germ oil)
* Considerable amounts (corn oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil)
* Contain small amounts (coconut oil, olive oil)
* Poor source (fish oil)

RDA:
Adults:                          1.0 I.U.
Infants/children:         1.0-1.25 I.U/kg body wt

 VITAMIN K
Synonyms: anti-hemorrhagic vitamin

* Absorption occurs predominantly in the jejunum

* It is essential for forming prothrombin, proconvertin, plasma thromboplastin component, and
Stuart factor by the hepatic cells.

Two Naturally Occur:

*  Vitamin K1or Phylloquinone – obtain from plants
*  Vitamin K2or Farnoquinone – isolated originally from putrid fish meal

Deficiency:
* biliary tract obstruction therapy
* sprue
* celiac disease

Sources: green leafy vegetables, cabbage, tomatoes, soybeans

RDA: No dietary allowance requirement for vitamin K.

WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS

They are usually stored in the liver and are excreted readily through the urine.

THIAMINE
Synonyms: vitamin B1, antineuritic vitamin, anti-beriberi vitamin, Aneurin

* An energy-releasing vitamins
* Widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom, occurring in the highest concentrations usually
in the seed.
* Present in most animal tissue – ham and pork
* Characterized by symptoms involving the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Deficiency:
* In Infants (dyspnea, cyanosis, diarrhea, and vomiting)
* In Adults (beriberi, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome)

Patterns of Beriberi:
* Dry–nervous symptoms are predominantly
* Wet – edema and serous effusions are predominantly
* Acute pernicious – cardiovascular manifestation like palpitation, and dyspnea.

RDA:
adult and adolescents:           0.5mg/1000 calories intake

RIBOFLAVIN
Synonyms: vitamin B2, vitamin G, lactoflavin
* Widely distributed by nature, probably present in all plants and animal cells.
* An orange yellow crystalline compound
* Good sources include milk, liver, kidney, and heart

Deficiency:
* Epithelial changes in the oral cavity:
          -  Cheilosis – angular stomatitis or fissures at the angles of the mouth.
          -  Magenta tongue – due to glossitis or inflammation of the tongue.
* Corneal vascularization – extra blood vessels develop in the cornea, and the eyes burn itch, and
tear with dimness of vision.
* Seborrheic dermatitis – a scaly, greasy, eruption that develops especially in the skin folds
chiefly about the tears and nose.

RDA: 
children and adults: 0.1-1.8 mg daily

NIACIN
Synonyms: vitamin B3, nicotinic acid, pellagra preventive factor

* Yeast is particularly rich in niacin

* Oxidation-reduction reaction
* Tryptophan is a precursor of niacin in many plants and animals species including man

Deficiency:
* Pellagra – originally came from the Italian word “rough skin”. The disease is characterized by
the following:
        Ø  Dermatitis of those areas that are exposed to sunlight – there is pigmentation and
thickening of the skin.
        Ø  diarrhea
        Ø  dementia or disturbances of the CNS

RDA:
children:           5-16 mg
adults:             12-20 mg

VITAMIN B6
Synonyms: pyridoxine, AA metabolism vitamins, ratacrodynia factor, rat anti-dermatitis factor,
vitamin H, adermin

* Enzyme system involving AA transaminases, phosphorylases, and decarboxylases.

* Abundant in meat, fish, potatoes, and vegetables.

Deficiency:
* In Infants (irritability, weakness, seizures or  epileptiform  convulsion, anemia like hypochromic
and microcytic anemia, and gastrointestinal manifestation such as; abdominal distention,
vomiting, and diarrhea)
* In Adults (facial seborrhea)

RDA:
Adults:            1.5-2 mg/day
Children:         0.3-1.3 mg/day

PANTHOTHENIC ACID
Synonyms: filtrate factor, vitamin B5

* Present in all living tissues

* Stable to most heat and to oxidizing and reducing agents
* It is destroyed by dry heat and by heating in an alkaline or acid medium

Sources: royal jelly (richest source), meat, poultry, fish, legumes, whole grain cereals

Deficiency:
* mental depression
* upper respiratory infection
* numbness and tingling in extremities
* easy fatigability
* cardiovascular disturbances
* gastrointestinal symptoms

RDA: 5-12 mg/2500 kcal

BIOTIN
Synonyms: vitamin B7, anti-egg white injury factor

Two Forms:
*  α biotin – abundant in egg yolk
*  β biotin – abundant in liver

Deficiency:
* In man–induced experimentally by feeding 4-6 dozen of raw eggs a week for 5-7 weeks which
includes: finely scaly desquamation of the skin without itching, anemia, anorexia, and muscle pain
* In rats – includes a spectacled-eyed appearance with brown scaliness of the skin, retarded
growth swelling, redness of lips, loss of hair, loss of muscular control, kangaroo posture

RDA: 100-300 µmg

FOLIC ACID
Synonyms: vitamin B9, vitamin M, Pteroylglutamic acid – PGA

* AA and nucleic acid biosynthesis

* Inactivated by sunlight
* Abundant in green leafy vegetables, yeast, liver, and kidney.
* The main function is to serve as a carrier of one carbon

Deficiency:
* megaloblastic anemia

VITAMIN C
Synonyms: ascorbic acid

* Act as a regulator of cholesterol metabolism

* Involved in the conversion of folic acid to its active form
* Responsible for the formation of tissue collagen
* Vitamin that prevents cancer
* It aids in the absorption and possibly the utilization of iron
* It is involved in the mobilization of iron from its storage form of ferritin
* It is involved in the synthesis of epinephrine for tyrosine.

Sources: citrus fruits, melons, cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, fresh potatoes, green
leafy vegetables.

Deficiency:
* scurvy – characterized by failure in the formation and maintenance of intracellular materials
which in turn causes the following symptoms: gums are spongy, poor wound healing, decrease
the ability to combat infections and easily fracturability of the bones

RDA:
Adult men and women:          45mg
Pregnancy and lactation:       60mg
Infants:                                    35mg
Children:                                 45mg