Vitamin

Vitamin
Vitamins are organic nutrients that are required in small quantities for a variety of biochemical
functions and which, generally cannot be synthesized by the body and must therefore be supplied
by the diet.
Functions: promote and regulate body processes necessary for growth, reproduction, and the
maintenance of health.
Classification of vitamins
Characteristics of vitamin
1. Vitamins are widely distributed in nature both in animal and vegetable kingdoms.
2. The daily requirement of vitamin is minute.
3. Some vitamins are fat soluble and some are water soluble.
4. Vitamins don’t yield energy but used as catalyst in various body processes.
5. Vitamins are not destroyed in the digestive process.
6. Vitamins are not antigenic and essential constituents of diet.
Fat soluble vitamins
Vitamin A
Chemistry of vitamin A
Vitamin A has a characteristic ring structure called the β-ionone ring (cyclohexenyl ring)
attached to a long hydrocarbon side chain ending in an alcohol group and is chemically
known as vitamin A1 alcohol (retinol). If the side chain ending in an aldehyde group is
known as vitamin A1 aldehyde (retinal). Al are derived from β-carotene.
Functions
 Essential for the growth and maintenance of the integrity of epithelial cells, e.g. skin, and
mucous membrane.
 Necessary for the formation of visual pigment (rhodopsin), hence plays a crucial role in
normal vision in dim light.
 Helps in growth and development, especially skeletal growth.
 Has anti-infective action, thereby protects the body against microbial functions.
 Has a probable role in the immunological defense mechanisms of the body.
 Essential for normal reproduction, supporting spermatogenesis in male and preventing fetal
resorption in the female.
 Plays a stabilizing role in the normal permeability of lysozymes and mitochondria.
 It is also important for embryonic development and the regulation of adult gens.
Deficiency of vitamin A
Prevention of vitamin A deficiency

 Improvement of diet to ensure a regular and adequate intake of food items rich in vitamin
A.
 Advising pregnant and lactating mothers to eat dark green leafy vegetables and yellow
fruits to build up stores of retinol in the fetal liver.
 Reducing the frequency and severity of contributory factors, e.g. protein energy
malnutrition, respiratory tract infections, diarrhea and measles.
 Prophylactic use of high potency oral vitamin A capsule in the high risk children.
Formation of retinol from β-carotene
Conversion of β-carotene to retinol occurs in liver. β-carotene, a provitamin of retinol
consists of two molecule s of retinal joined at the aldehyde end of their carbon chain.
Ingested β-carotenes may be oxidatively cleaved by β-carotene dioxygenase. This cleavage
utilizes molecular oxygen is enhanced by the presence of bile salt, and generates two
molecules of retinaldehyde (retinal). In the intestinal mucosa, retinal is reduced to retinol
by a specific retinaldehyde reductase utilizing NADPH. A small fraction of the retinal is
oxidized to retinoic acid.
Vitamin D
Chemistry-Vitamin D
All Vitamin D are sterol, two main forms of which are: i) vitamin D2 (activated ergosterol) and ii)
vitamin D3 (Activated 7-hydrocholesterol). D2 is known as ergocalciferol and D3 as
cholecalciferol.
Vitamin D2 (activated ergosterol) Vitamin D3 (activated 7-hydrocholesterol)
Sources of Vitamin D
• Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and salmon.
• Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and
cereals.
• Beef liver.
• Cheese.
• Egg yolks
Functions of Vitamin D
 The principle action of vitamin D is to increase absorption of calcium and phosphorus
from the intestine.
 It stimulates the calcification of bones in both adults and growing children.
 It helps in the development of normal teeth.
 It increases tubular reabsorption of phosphate by the kidney.
 It is essential to ossification.
Deficiency effect
Vitamin D deficiency causes a net demineralization of bone resulting in :
i) Rickets in children and ii) Osteomalacia in adults. Moreover:
• Having dark skin.
• Being elderly.
• Being overweight or obese.
• Not eating much fish or dairy.
• Living far from the equator where there is little sun year-round.
• Always using sunscreen when going out.
• Staying indoors.
Vitamin E
Chemistry-Vitamin E
 Vitamin E refers to a group of naturally occurring compounds known as tocopherols like
α, β, γ, δ-tocopherol.
 These compounds are isoprenoids with a 6-hydroxychromanes ring.
 α -tocopherol has three methyl groups in the aromatic nucleus.
 β and γ -tocopherol have two and δ-tocopherol has one methyl group in the aromatic
nucleus.
 α –tocopherol is most active
Sources of Vitamin E
Plant source
i) Vegetable oils like wheat germ, sunflower seed, safflower seed oils and corn and
soyabean oil.
ii) Whole grain cereals and nuts are rich sources.
Animal source
Egg yolk, meat, fish, chicken and milk
Functions of Vitamin E
Deficiency effect
i) Haemolytic anaemia in newborn, due to decreased production of hemoglobin and a
shortened erythrocyte life span.
ii) Sensory ataxia in adults due to spinocerebellar degeneration.
Vitamin K
Chemistry-Vitamin K
 Vitamins belonging to the K group are polyisoprenoid-substituted napthoquinones.
 Vitamins K1, K2 and K3 are important derivatives. Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and K2
(mena quinones) are the two naturally occurring forms of vitamin K. the third form
vitamin K3 (menadione) is the synthetic analogue. K1 is found in plants while K2 is
found in animal tissues and synthesized by bacteria in the intestine.
Sources of Vitamin K
Functions of Vitamin K
 Vitamin K catalyzes the synthesis of blood clotting factors, such as prothombin (factor II)
 It plays an important role in oxidative phosphorylation in the mitochondria.

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Prevention of vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin D2 (activated ergosterol) Vitamin D3 (activated 7-hydrocholesterol)

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