Vitamin A, preparation

A major development in the study of EGB s is the recently reported measurements of rates of protonation by acids of known pK. The correlation of such rates with pK, the Bronsted relationship, also enables bases of determined pK to be used in the measurement of kinetic acidities of weak acids. This quantitative approach will eventually lead to the optimisation of reaction conditions for preparative reactions by providing data which can be used to match the acid/base pairs more exactly. In many organic reactions involving bases the base chosen is stronger than is strictly neccessary and consequently such reactions are often complicated by side reactions such as condensation reactions and isomerisations. The advantage of an EGB of moderate strength has been seen in the vitamin A preparation described in Scheme 18, where the facile cisftrans isomerisation is avoided. 

The structural formula of Figure 9-1 shows the unsaturated character of vitamin A. The all-rrans form is the most active biologically. The 13-cis isomer is known as neovitamin A its biological activity is only about 75 percent of that of the all-trans form. The amount of neo-vitamin A in natural vitamin A preparations is about one-third of the... 

Nieman and Obbink (1954) have provided an extensive review of the subchronic toxicity of vitamin A preparations and of retinol that appeared in the literature up to the early 1950s. The studies described were carried out in a variety of animal species but primarily in the rat dosages ranged from 3 to 180 mg retinol equivalents/day and the duration of treatment varied from a few days to several weeks. 

The retinopathy may be related to vitamin A or carotenoid deficiency (Salt et al. 1960, and others), and low serum levels of vitamin A were found by Campbell and Tonks (1963) in other patients with retinitis pigmentosa. However, in the patient of Salt et al., normal serum levels of this vitamin were maintained from the age of 22 months by the administration of water-soluble vitamin A preparations and he nevertheless showed the first signs of retinitis pigmentosa at the age of 5 years (Wolff et al. 1966). Similarly Forsyth et al. (1965) administered vitamin A to their patients in daily doses of 20,000 to 40,000 lU, and achieved serum levels of 55 lU/lOOml (normal 72 lU/lOOml) but were unable to prevent the development of retinitis and the appearance of neurological signs at the age of 7. Even with normal serum levels of vitamin A, its transport to important sites may not be secured, and coupling with j8-lipoproteins may be necessary for its action. In addition, some cells may need carotenoids which are almost completely absent in the serum of a-j8-lipoproteinemic patients. 

Whether long-term administrations of water-soluble vitamin A preparations, which are customarily given in each case of retinitis pigmentosa, are of any benefit remains to be seen. As mentioned earlier, ingestion of vitamin A over years by some patients (Wolff et al. 1965/1966) with a-/8-lipoproteinemia, failed to prevent the development of retinitis pigmentosa and ataxia, in spite of satisfactory serum levels. Nevertheless, the fat soluble vitamins A, D and E, and possibly vitamin K in the presence of hypoprothrombinemia, should be substituted. The lack of plasma carotenoids persists in spite of these measures. 

Quantitative analysis. Spectroscopic analysis is widely used in the analysis of vitamin preparations, mixtures of hydrocarbons (e.y., benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) and other systems exhibiting characteristic electronic spectra. The extinction coefficient at 326 mp, after suitable treatment to remove other materials absorbing in this region, provides the best method for the estimation of the vitamin A content of fish oils. 

Vitamins. The preparation of heat-sensitive natural and synthetic vitamins (qv) involves solvent extraction. Natural vitamins A and D are extracted from fish Hver oils and vitamin E from vegetable oils (qv) Hquid propane [74-98-6] is the solvent. In the synthetic processes for vitamins A, B, C, and E, solvent extraction is generally used either in the separation steps for intermediates or in the final purification. 

Lithium acetyhde also can be prepared directly in hquid ammonia from lithium metal or lithium amide and acetylene (134). In this form, the compound has been used in the preparation of -carotene and vitamin A (135), ethchlorvynol (136), and (7j--3-hexen-l-ol (leaf alcohol) (137). More recent synthetic processes involve preparing the lithium acetyhde in situ. Thus lithium diisopropylamide, prepared from //-butyUithium and the amine in THF at 0°C, is added to an acetylene-saturated solution of a ketosteroid to directly produce an ethynylated steroid (138). 

A commercially interesting low calorie fat has been produced from sucrose. Proctor Gamble has patented a mixture of penta- to octafatty acid ester derivatives of sucrose under the brand name Olestra. It was approved by the FDA in January 1996 for use as up to 100% replacement for the oil used in preparing savory snacks and biscuits. Olestra, a viscous, bland-tasting Hquid insoluble in water, has an appearance and color similar to refined edible vegetable oils. It is basically inert from a toxicity point of view as it is not metabolized or absorbed. It absorbs cholesterol (low density Hpoprotein) and removes certain fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Hence, Olestra has to be supplemented with these vitamins. No standard LD q tests have been performed on Olestra however, several chronic and subchronic studies were performed at levels of 15% in the diet, and no evidence of toxicity was found. No threshold limit value (TLV), expressed as a maximum exposure per m of air, has been estabhshed, but it is estimated to be similar to that of an inert hpid material at 5 mg/m. ... 

A major pharmaceutical use of poly(oxyethylene) sorbitan fatty acid esters is in the solubilization of the oil-soluble vitamins A and D. In this way, multivitamin preparations can be made which combine both water- and oil-soluble vitamins in a palatable form. 

The stmcture of vitamin A [11103-57-4] and some of the important derivatives are shown in Figure 1. The parent stmcture is aH-Zra/ j -retinol [68-26-8] and its lUPAC name is (all-E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-l-cyclohexen-l-yl)-2,4,6,8-nonatetraen-l-ol (1). The numbering system for vitamin A derivatives parallels the system used for the carotenoids. In older Hterature, vitamin A compounds are named as derivatives of trimethyl cyclohexene and the side chain is named as a substituent. For retinoic acid derivatives, the carboxyl group is denoted as C-1 and the trimethyl cyclohexane ring as a substituent on C-9. The stmctures of vitamin A and -carotene were elucidated by Karrer in 1930 and several derivatives of the vitamin were prepared by this group (5,6). In 1935, Wald isolated a substance found in the visual pigments of the eye and was able to show that this material was identical with Karrer s retinaldehyde [116-31-4] (5) (7). 

Vitamin A palmitate [79-81-2] (3), a commercially important form of the vitamin, is produced from vitamin A acetate (2) via a transesterification reaction with methyl palmitate. En2ymatic preparation of the palmitate from the acetate has also been described (22). 

Hoffmaim-La Roche has produced -carotene since the 1950s and has rehed on core knowledge of vitamin A chemistry for the synthesis of this target. In this approach, a five-carbon homologation of vitamin A aldehyde (19) is accompHshed by successive acetalizations and enol ether condensations to prepare the aldehyde (46). Metal acetyUde coupling with two molecules of aldehyde (46) completes constmction of the C q carbon framework. Selective reduction of the internal triple bond of (47) is followed by dehydration and thermal isomerization to yield -carotene (21) (Fig. 10). 

In the BASF synthesis, a Wittig reaction between two moles of phosphonium salt (vitamin A intermediate (24)) and C q dialdehyde (48) is the important synthetic step (9,28,29). Thermal isomerization affords all /ra/ j -P-carotene (Fig. 11). In an alternative preparation by Roche, vitamin A process streams can be used and in this scheme, retinol is carefully oxidized to retinal, and a second portion is converted to the C2Q phosphonium salt (49). These two halves are united using standard Wittig chemistry (8) (Fig. 12). 

Industrially, vitamin is prepared from the chromic acid oxidation of 2-methylnaphthalene (56). Although the yields are low, the process is economical owing to the low cost and availabiUty of the starting material and the oxidizing agent. However, the process is compHcated by the formation of isomeric 6-meth5l-l,4-naphthoquinone. As a result, efforts have been directed to develop process technology to faciUtate the separation of the isomeric naphthoquinone and to improve selectivity of the oxidation. 

Solutions in contact with polyvinyl chloride can become contaminated with trace amounts of lead, titanium, tin, zinc, iron, magnesium or cadmium from additives used in the manufacture and moulding of PVC. V-Phenyl-2-naphthylamine is a contaminant of solvents and biological materials that have been in contact with black rubber or neoprene (in which it is used as an antioxidant). Although it was only an artefact of the separation procedure it has been isolated as an apparent component of vitamin K preparations, extracts of plant lipids, algae, livers, butter, eye tissue and kidney tissue [Brown Chem Br 3 524 1967]. 

The largest industrial use of LiC2H is in the production of vitamin A, where it effects ethynyl-ation of methyl vinyl ketone to produce a key tertiary carbinol intermediate. The acetylides and dicarbides of the other alkali metals are prepared similarly. It is not always necessary to prepare this type of compound in liquid ammonia and, indeed, further substitution to give the bright red perlithiopropyne Li4C3 can be effected in hexane under reflux ... 

Wittig reactions are used commercially in tire synthesis of numerous pharmaceutical agents. For example, the German chemical company BASF prepares vitamin A by Wittig reaction between a 15-carbon ylide and a 5-carbon aldehyde. 

Carotene, a yellow food-coloring agent and dietary source of vitamin A, can be prepared by a double Wittig reaction between 2 equivalents of jS-ionvlideneacetaldehyde and a diylide. Show the structure of the /0-carotene product. 

Summary term for a number of steroid hormones and their precursors with differentiation-inducing activity in many tissues. As regards bone, three components are relevant cholecalciferol ( vitamin D ) 25-hydroxyvi-taminD3 (calcidiol) and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3 (calcitriol). The latter is the biologically active form and increases both intestinal calcium absoiption and bone resorption. Vitamin D preparations are widely used for the treatment of osteoporosis. Daily supplementation with vitamin D reduces bone loss in postmenopausal women and hip fractures in elderly subjects. 

Levodopa interacts with many different drugs. When levodopa is used with phenytoin, reserpine, and papaverine, there is a decrease in response to levodopa The risk of a hypertensive crisis increases when levodopa is used with the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (see Chap. 31). Foods high in pyridoxine (vitamin B6) or vitamin B6 preparations reverse the effect of levodopa However, when carbidopa is used with levodopa, pyridoxine has no effect on the action of levodopa hi fact, when levodopa and carbidopa are given together, pyridoxine may be prescribed to decrease the adverse effects associated with levodopa... 

In addition, Montenegro et al., (2007) determined that the photosensitized RF-mediated degradation of vitamins A, D3, and RF itself in skimmed milk was strongly reduced by the addition of small amounts of lycopene-gum arabic-sucrose microcapsules, prepared by spray-drying. Under these conditions, the bulk properties of the skimmed milk were unmodified. The main photoprotection mechanism of the milk vitamins was the efficient quenching of the 3Rf by the protein moiety of GA. Small contributions (<5%) to the total photoprotection percentage was due to both inner filter effect and 1O2 quenching by the microencapsulated lycopene. 

The synthetic utility of the remarkably facile and efficient [2,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement of propargylic sulfenates has been further demonstrated in a variety of preparations and interesting reactions of allenyl sulfoxides , including the preparation of vinylallenes " which are useful intermediates in organic synthesis in general and natural polyenes, such as Vitamins A and D, in particular Two typical examples, taken... 

Prevention of vascular disease is one of the goals of a study in progress in Sweden, in which newly diagnosed diabetic children have been randomized in a doubleblind study where one group receives placebo and the other a preparation containing ascorbic acid, )3-carotene, nicotinamide, selenium and vitamin E (Ludvigsson, 1992). Future research with antioxidants may attempt to prevent the onset of pancreatic beta-cell destruction in the prediabetic phase of susceptible individuals. 

Analogously prepared are the / -D-glucosyl ester of 8 -apo-/ -carotene-8 -oic acid (as imidazolide and triazolide, obtained in 81 and 66% yield, respectively) and vitamin A acid (as triazolide, obtained in 87% yield) tl95]... 

Sulfones are prepared by rearrangement of the first formed sulfoxylates. For example, treatment of vitamin A alcohol with ImSIm yields the corresponding sulfone, which can be converted to j -carotene t263... 

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