Pharmacological Uses of Riboflavin

Because of its intense yeUow color and low toxicity, riboflavin is widely used as a food color (E-fOf). It is also used in relatively high doses in the treatment of recessive famUial methemoglobinemia and some organic acidurias. 

There is some evidence that riboflavin status affects the stability of the thermolab ile variant of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (Section 10.3.2.1), and that supplements of riboflavin may lower plasma homocysteine (Section 10.3.4.2) in people who are homozygous for the variant enzyme (McNulty et al., 2002). 

Because of its low solubility and limited absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, riboflavin has no significant or measurable toxicity by mouth. At extremely high parenteral doses (300 to 400 mg per kg of body weight), there may be crystallization of riboflavin in the kidney because of its low solubility. 

Adiga PR (1994) Riboflavin carrier protein in reproduction. In Vitamin Receptors Vitamins as Ligands in Cell Communication, K Dakshinamurti (ed.), pp. 137-76. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. 

Bates CJ (1987) Human requirements for riboflavin. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 46, 122-3. 

---

Use Pharmacologically important P. compounds include the derivatives of barbituric acid, vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin), some diuretics, nucleoside antibiotics, and antimetabolites (antipyrimidines) that are used in cancer therapy (e.g 5-fluorouracil and thio-uracil). 

---