Folic acid, Vitamin B12 and

Vitamin C
Dr. Anand R
Assistant Professor
Department of Biochemistry
CMC Vellore
10th December 2015

Objectives
List the dietary sources of Vitamin B12, C and folic
acid
Explain the functions of Vitamin B12, C and folic acid
List the diseases occurring due to deficiency of each
of the vitamins

Vitamins
Micronutrients (requirement in the range of
microgram- milligrams per day)
Organic compounds required for normal
health, growth and reproduction
Most of the vitamins are naturally occurring ,
specially in plant sources (animal sources
also)

Vitamins

Water soluble
vitamins

Vitamin B
complex

Vitamin C

Fat soluble
vitamins

Vit A, D, E, K

Fat soluble vitamins

Water soluble vitamins

Handled like fats in

body
Absorbed with fats,
excreted less in urine
Can be stored in body

Handled like aqueous

solutes in body
Excreted mainly in
urine
Except vitamin B12, not
stored in body
Act as coenzymes for
enzymes

Act on nuclear
receptors

Vitamin B complex
Thiamine B1
Riboflavin B2
Niacin B3
Pantothenic acid - B5
Pyridoxine B6
Biotin B7
Folic acid B9
Cobalamin - B12

Common properties of WSV

Water soluble
Excess intake - excreted in urine
Vitamins are not stored except for B12
Act as coenzymes for several enzymes

Folic acid

What is folic acid?

Other names: folate or vitamin B9

Active form: tetrahydrofolate (THF)

Sources
Yeast, liver, egg
Green leafy vegetables, potatoes
Cereals, oil seeds, pulses
Intestinal bacteria
Absorbed from jejunum
Recommended dietary allowance
200-400 microgram/ day

Why is folic acid important?

THF is a carrier of one carbon units
1. Important for metabolism of amino acidsserine, and glycine
2. Important for the conversion of
homocysteine to methionine
3. Important for purine and thymidine synthesis

 So, when folate deficiency occurs- affects DNA

synthesis
Cells which divide rapidly are affected earliestbone marrow very commonly affected
Leads to megaloblastic anemia
Needs vitamin B12 to be fully functional

When does folic acid deficiency occur?

1. Inadequate intake
1. Malnutrition
2. Children, old age
3. Alcholics and drug addicts

2. Defective absorption (Intake is good but not

absorbed properly)
1. Malabsorption
2. Intestinal diseases

3. Increased requirement (Intake and absorption are

sufficient but demand is more)
1. Pregnancy

What happens when folic acid is deficient?

1. Megaloblastic anemia (large immature and
dysfunctional red blood cells megaloblasts in
the bone marrow)
2. In pregnant women leads to defective
development of brain and spinal cord- neural
tube defects
Spina bifida
Anencephaly

Megaloblastic anemia

http://imagebank.hematology.org

Spina bifida

http://neuropathology-web.org/chapter11/chapter11bNTD.html

Anencephaly

http://nursingcrib.com/

Folic acid supplementation

Daily supplementation of folic acid
recommended for pregnant women
To protect against neural tube defects

Folate antagonists
Because folate is important for DNA synthesis,
the antagonists are used as treatment as
antibiotics, malaria and cancer
Eg: Methotrexate: anticancer

Vitamin B12

Sources
Absent in plant foods
Animal products
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, milk products
Liver is a good source
RDA: 1 microgram/ day

What are the functions of vitamin B12?

Important for reactions involving transfer of
methyl groups
Two main enzymes having vitamin B12 as
cofactor:
Methionine synthase
Methylmalonyl coA mutase

What are the functions of vitamin B12?

Important for methionine synthesis

Important for thymidine synthesis

Important for folate metabolism
So DNA synthesis is affected when deficiency
occurs

Folate trap
Vitamin B12 is essential for folate metabolism
When vitamin B12 is deficient it causes functional
folate deficiency- called folate trap

When does vitamin B12 deficiency occur?

1. Inadequate intake
1.
2.
3.
4.

Malnutrition
Vegetarians
Children, old age
Alcholics and drug addicts

2. Defective absorption (Intake is good but not absorbed

properly)
1. Malabsorption
2. Intestinal diseases
3. Stomach diseases

What happens when vitamin B12

deficiency occurs?
Megaloblastic anemia
Folate trap
Neuropathy (affects function of nerves)
Subacute combined degeneration of spinal
cord

Vitamin C

Vitamin C
Other names: ascorbic acid
Deficiency: scurvy
James Lind: performed one of the clinical
experiments using vitamin C as a treatment for
scurvy

Properties of vitamin C
Destroyed by heating and storage

Cooking destroys 70% vitamin C

Acts as an antioxidant

Sources
Citrus fruits: lime, oranges, tomato, berries
(strawberry, cranberry, gooseberry, raspberry
etc)
Guavas, melons, grapes
Green leafy vegetables, raw cabbage

RDA: 60 75 mg/day

Why is vitamin C important?

Functions as an antioxidant
Important for collagen synthesis (a protein
present in bone, teeth, cartilage and blood
vessels and gives strength)

Helps absorption of iron from intestines

What happens when vitamin C is

deficient?
Scurvy
Small spots of bleeding in skin (petechiae)
Swelling and bleeding from gums
Gum decay
Bone pain and fractures
Weakness of cartilage
Delay in wound healing

References:
1.Text book of Medical Biochemistry [Dinesh
Puri] 3rd edn
2. Biochemistry 1stedition [Pankaja Naik]
3. Textbook of Biochemistry (Vasudevan and
Sreekumari) 7th edn