Vitamins

Gastrointestinal Tract System/Block

Low Bin Seng

MBBS Batch 4 Vitamins 1

 Definition

• Vitamins are a group of organic compounds occurring in

small quantities in different natural foods, which are
also required in small quantities for growth and
maintenance of good health in human beings.

Vitamins 2
 Vitamins
• Vitamins must be supplied by the diet except for
vitamins D and K, because they cannot be produced in
adequate amounts by the human body.
• Vitamin D can be formed in the skin upon adequate
exposure to ultraviolet radiation; certain carotenoids
can replace vitamin A;
• Vitamin K is normally produced in sufficient amounts by
intestinal bacteria;
• Vitamin B3 (niacin) can be synthesized in vivo from an
amino acid precursor, L-tryptophan.

Vitamins 3
Classification of Vitamins

Vitamins 4
 Fat Soluble Vitamin

ADEK

MBBS Batch 4 Vitamins 5

Fat Soluble Vitamins: Vitamin A
Two Groups of compounds have
Vitamin A activity:

1. Retinoids comprise retinol, retinal

and retinoic acid (preformed vitamin
A, found only in foods of animal
origin)
2. Carotenoids: Plant foods contain β-
carotene. This provitamin can be
oxidatively cleaved (carotenoid
oxygenase) in the intestine to yield
two molecules of retinol.

Vitamins
Vitamin A6
 Food Source for Vitamin A

Preformed Vitamin A (from

animal origin)
Liver Fish Liver oils, Kidney,
Dairy produce, eggs and
fortified margarine.

β-carotene (from plant

origin)
carrots, red palm oil,
apricots, melon, pumpkin,
dark green leafy vegetables
(spinach, broccoli, sprouts
and etc.)

Vitamins
Vitamin A
7
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for
Vitamin A

• 400-600 g - For children

• 700 g - For women
• 900 g - Men
• 1000 g - During pregnancy
• 1200 g - During lactation

Vitamins
Vitamin A
8
 Functions of Vitamin A
• Vision cycle

Vitamin A
Vitamins
Vitamin A
9
 Functions of Vitamin A

• Reproductive system.
• Differentiation of immune system cells.
• Carotenoids (-Carotenes) functions as antioxidants
to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer
initiated by free radicals.

Vitamins
Vitamin A
10
 Vitamin A Deficiency Diseases

• Night blindness
• Bitot’s spots on conjunctiva
• Xerophthalmia and keratomalacia (softenning of cornea)
• Skin and mucous membrane lesions

Vitamins
Vitamin A
11
 Vitamin D
• Vitamin D are a group of sterols that have a hormone
like function.
• The active molecule is 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol
(1,25(OH)2-D3) or known as calcitriol.
• Vitamin D is not usually required in diet as the compound
can be produced from the provitamin compounds such
as 7-dehydroxycholesterol from skin of the animals
(following UV radiation) and ergosterol in plants.

Vitamins
Vitamin D
12
 Distribution and Requirement of Vitamin D

• Vitamin D occurs naturally in

fatty fish, liver, butter and egg
yolk. Milk, unless it is
artificially fortified, is not a
good source of the vitamin D.

• The RDA of vitamin D for

adults is 5 μg (200 IU/day);
children 10 μg (400 IU/day);
pregnancy/ lactation 10 μg
(400 IU/day) and age >60 is
600 IU/day.

Vitamins
Vitamin D
13
 Vitamin D Deficiency

• Vitamin D deficiency causes a net demineralization of bone,

resulting in rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.

• Insufficient exposure to daylight and/or deficiencies in vitamin

D consumption occur predominantly in infants and the elderly.

• Vitamin D deficiency is more common in the northern

latitudes, because less vitamin D synthesis occurs in the skin
as a result of reduced exposure to ultraviolet light.

• Renal osteodystrophy.

Vitamins
Vitamin D
14
 Vitamin E

• Vitamin E is a mixture of several compounds, known as

tocopherols of which α-tocopherol is the most active.
• RDA : 10 mg/day for male
8 mg/day for female
10 mg/day for pregnancy
12 mg/day for lactation

Vitamins
Vitamin E
15
Food Sources For Vitamin E

• Vegetable oils—wheat
germ oil is the richest,
sunflower oil, margarines,
mayonnaise, nuts and
seeds.

• Small amounts in
wholegrain cereals, eggs,
butter, some vegetables,
and some fruits.

Vitamins
Vitamin E
16
Vitamin E is the most abundant natural antioxidant present
in all cell membranes.
It reduces peroxidation of unsaturated fatty acids by free
oxygen radicals.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
17
 Vitamin E Deficiency

• Severe fat malabsorption reduces the body fat content

of vitamin E and after a prolonged period, cystic
fibrosis, chronic liver disease  nerve and muscle
membrane damage.

• Premature infants  inadequate reserves of the

vitamin E  peroxidation of membrane lipids 
fragile erythrocyte membranes  hemolytic anemia,
thrombocytopenia and oedema.

Vitamins
Vitamin E
18
 Vitamin K

Three compounds have the biological activity of vitamin K:

• Phylloquinone (Vitamin K1), the normal dietary source,

found in green vegetables;
• Menaquinones (Vitamin K2), synthesized by intestinal
bacteria, with differing lengths of side-chain; and
• Menadione (Vitamin K3) is a synthetic compounds that can
be metabolized to Menaquinones.

Vitamins
Vitamin K
19
Dietary Source and RDA of Vitamin K

• Vitamin K is found in
cabbage, cauliflower,
spinach, egg yolk and
liver. There is also
extensive synthesis of
the vitamin by the
bacteria in the gut.
• 120 µg/day for men.
• 90 µg/day for women.

Vitamins
Vitamin K
20
 Functions of Vitamin K

• Formation of clotting factors (II, VII, IX and X) requires the vitamin K-

dependent carboxylation of glutamic acid residue to form γ-
carboxyglutamate (Gla).
• γ-Carboxyglutamate residues of prothrombin are good chelators of
calcium ions essential for the blood clotting on the surface of platelet.
• Osteocalcin , a non-collagenous protein plays a role in bone growth
and the maintenance of bone density, found in bone and dentin also
containing vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of glutamic acid
residues.

Vitamins
Vitamin K
21
SUMMARY

Vitamins 22
 Water Soluble Vitamin

B and C

MBBS Batch 4 Vitamins 23

 Water Soluble Vitamins: Vitamin B

• Our body has no storage capacity for water-soluble

vitamins.
• Vitamin B12 has an aid (intrinsic factor) for their
absorption.
• All water-soluble vitamins must be supplied in the
diet.
• B-complex vitamins are essential to the normal
metabolism and are involved as coenzymes in many
reactions.

Vitamins
Vitamin B
24
 Vitamin B
Vitamin Name Food source

B1 Thiamin Seeds, nuts, wheat germs, legumes

B2 Riboflavin Dairy products, green leafy vegetables

B3 Niacin Whole grains, liver

B5 Pantothenic acid Yeast, eggs, liver

B6 Pyridoxine Wheat, corn, liver, beef

B7 Biotin Milk, eggs, liver

B9 Folic acid Green leafy vegetables, liver, whole grains

B12 Cobalamin Liver, milk, eggs, meat

Vitamins
Vitamin B
25
 Vitamin B
Vitamin Name Biochemical actions Deficiency disease
Cofactor for carboxylation and transferases
B1 Thiamin Beri-beri
reaction for carbohydrate metabolism.
Glossitis (loss of tongue
B2 Riboflavin Cofactor as FAD.
papillae), dermatitis
Pellagra (dermatitis),
B3 Niacin Cofactor as NAD+ and NADP+
glossitis
Pantothenic Not described in human,
B5 Transfer of acyl group (component of CoA).
acid very rare
Cofactor for transamination (amino acid Rare, overdose produces
B6 Pyridoxine metabolism) and transsulfuration. neurologic symptoms
Widespread injury,
B7 Biotin Cofactor for carboxylation, lipogenesis. dermatitis, nausea,
anorexia
Megaloblastic anemia,
B9 Folic acid Cofactor for one carbon transferation.
nerve degeneration

Megaloblastic anemia,
B12 Cobalamin Cofactor for methionine synthase.
nerve degeneration

Vitamins
Vitamin B 26
B1 Thiamine

Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)

B2 Riboflavin

FAD

Riboflavin

Vitamins 27
B3 Niacin

NAD+ NADP+

B5 Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid Coenzyme A

Vitamins 28
B6 Pyridoxine

B7 Biotin

Avidin, a protein present in egg white bind to

biotin
 B9 Folic acid
B12 Cobalamin

MBBS Batch 4 Vitamins 30

 Water Soluble Vitamins: Vitamin C
• Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, body has no storage capacity for it.
• Vitamin C can be supplied from food, including citrus fruits, broccoli and
tomatoes.
• Vitamin C is easily destroyed by oxygen, metal ions, increased pH, heat
and light.
• Vitamin C served as a reducing agent and its active form is ascorbic acid.
• Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of
your body.
• It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin,
cartilage, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels.
• Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds and for repairing and
maintaining bones and teeth.
• Vitamin C facilitates the dietary iron absorption from the intestine.

Vitamins
Vitamin C
31
SAM SAH
 Vitamin C as An Antioxidant

• Vitamin C is an antioxidant, along with vitamin E, β-carotene

and many other plant-based nutrients.
• The build-up of the free radicals over time may contribute to
the aging process and the development of health conditions
such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
• Antioxidants block some of the damage caused by free
radicals, substances that damage DNA.

Vitamins
Vitamin C
33
 From
Pentose
Phosphate
Pathway

Vitamins
Vitamin C
35
 Deficiency of Vitamin C

• Vitamin C deficiency caused scurvy, characterized by:

• A defective collagen synthesis,
• Subcutaneous hemorrhage,
• Muscle weakness,
• Soft and swollen bleeding gums,
• Osteoporosis
• Poor in wound healing and
• Anaemia

Vitamins
Vitamin C
36
References for Further Reading
Harvey R.A. (Eds) (2014). Biochemistry 5th Edition. Publisher: Wolter
Kluwer/Lippincott William & Wilkins, Chapter 28.

Baynes J.W. and Dominiczak M.H. (Eds) (2009). Medical Biochemistry

Third Edition. Publisher: Mosby Elsevier, Chapter 11.

Vitamins 37
I think we need vitamin now!