Vitamins

Classifications
• Water soluble vitamins are
readily excreted in the
urine, toxicity is rare.

• Fat soluble Vitamins are

not readily excreted, and
significant quantities are
stored in the liver and
adipose tissue.
• Consumption of vitamins
A and D in excess of the
Dietary Reference Intakes
can lead to accumulation
of toxic quantities of
these compounds .
Sources
 Structures of Vitamin A
Retinoids
Vitamers
The term vitamers represents the
chemically similar substances that
possess qualitatively similar
vitamin activity. Some good
examples of
vitamers are given below
● Retinol, retinal and retinoic acid

are vitamers of vitamin A.

● Pyridoxine, pyridoxal and

pyridoxamine are vitamers of

vitamin
6
Structures
Absorption, transport and mobilization
Structures of Vitamin A
 Biochemical functions
George Wald (Nobel Prize 1968)

Vitamin A is necessary for a variety of

functions such as:
• vision

• proper growth and differentiation

• Reproduction and maintenance of

epithelial cells.
 Deficiency of vitamin A

Nyctalopia or Night blindness:

➢ The person cannot see the

objects in dim light and in
night.

Xeropthalmia or Dry eyes:

➢ The lacrimal glands in the eyes do to produce tears.
The conjunctiva (or) the outer most layer of the eye becomes dry
 Deficiency of vitamin A

Vision is lost
Deficiency of vitamin A