Vitamin biological function

The first commercial synthesis of a vitamin occurred ia 1933 when the Reichsteia approach was employed to manufacture vitamin C (6). AH 13 vitamins ate available ia commercial quantities, and their biological functions have largely been estabUshed (7). A Hst of Nobel prize winners associated with vitamin research is given ia Table 2. 

Although it is being found that vitamin D metaboUtes play a role ia many different biological functions, metaboHsm primarily occurs to maintain the calcium homeostasis of the body. When calcium semm levels fall below the normal range, 1 a,25-dihydroxy-vitainin is made when calcium levels are at or above this level, 24,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is made, and 1 a-hydroxylase activity is discontiaued. The calcium homeostasis mechanism iavolves a hypocalcemic stimulus, which iaduces the secretion of parathyroid hormone. This causes phosphate diuresis ia the kidney, which stimulates the 1 a-hydroxylase activity and causes the hydroxylation of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D to 1 a,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. Parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol act at the bone site cooperatively to stimulate calcium mobilization from the bone (see Hormones). Calcium blood levels are also iafluenced by the effects of the metaboUte on intestinal absorption and renal resorption. 

Coagulation Factors II, III, VII, IX, X, XI, and Xlla fragments, thrombin, and plasmin are classified as serine proteases because each possesses a serine residue with neighboring histidine and asparagine residues at its enzymatically active site (Table 3). Factors II, VII, IX, and X, Protein C, Protein S, and Protein Z are dependent on the presence of vitamin K [84-80-0] for their formation as biologically functionally active procoagulant glycoproteins. 

Macrocyclic polyamines may be viewed as an extended form of linear polyamines 13-161 with one less degree of saturation. Polyamines with lower degrees of saturation, have important biological functions. Compounds such as macrocyclic polyimines 171 and porphyrines 18), function as 02 carriers and activators, promote photosynthesis, form the basic structure of vitamine B12, etc., and for these reasons have been subjects of intense investigation. 

Silk fibroin and collagen illustrate the close linkage of protein stmcture and biologic function. Diseases of collagen mamration include Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and the vitamin C deficiency disease scurvy. 

Huge literature on biological functions of flavonoids and their antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities successfully competes with work on antioxidant effects of vitamins E and C. Flavonoids have been reported to exert multiple biological effects and exhibit antiinflammatory, antiallergic, antiviral, and anticancer activities [85 89], However, considering flavonoids as the inhibitors of free radical-mediated processes, two types of their reactions should be discussed flavonoids as free radical scavengers (antioxidants) and flavonoids as metal chelators. 

Researchers studying the metalloenzyme hydrogenase would like to design small compounds that mimic this enzyme s ability to reversibly reduce protons to H2 and H2 to 2H+, using an active center that contains iron and nickel. Cobalamins (vitamin and its derivatives) contain an easily activated Co-C bond that has a number of biological functions, one of which is as a methyl transferase, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR). This enzyme converts homocysteine (an amino acid that has one more CH2 group in its alkyl side chain than cysteine see Figure 2.2) to methionine as methylcobalamin is converted to cobalamin. 

Pharmacology Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is an essential vitamin in man however, its exact biological functions are not fully understood. It is essential for the formation and the maintenance of intercellular ground substance and collagen, for catecholamine biosynthesis, for synthesis of carnitine and steroids, for conversion of folic acid to folinic acid and for tyrosine metabolism. 

There have been continuous search for new substances that can improve biological functions and possibility of applying these compounds to promote well-being of human. This has resulted in development of products such as vitamins, dietary supplements, functional foods, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, bio-chemopreventatives, and designer foods (Zeisel,... 

Factor IX. This factor is dependent on the presence of vitamin K for its activity as a biologically functional procoagulant glycoprotein. Factor IX is converted to its active form by XIa in the classic scheme of the intrinsic pathway. However, it can also be activated via interaction with Factor Xa or the complex Factor III plus Factor VII in the presence of calcium. 

The biological functions of vitamin C appear to be related principally to its well-established reducing properties and easy one-electron oxidation to a free radical or two-electron reduction to dehydroascorbic acid. The latter is in equilibrium with the hydrated hemiacetal shown at the beginning of this box as well as with other chemical species.1 Vitamin C is a weak acid which also has metal complexing properties. 

A second major vitamin D metabolite is 24R,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, a compound that circulates in the blood at a concentration 10 times higher than that of the 1,25-isomer.a b However, no biological function has been discovered, and like a series of other polar metabolites (>30) it is probably on a pathway of inactivation and degradation of vitamin D. la,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D is also hydroxylated... 

Biological Functions Although boron is required by plants, there is little solid evidence to date that it is required for the nutrition of livestock or humans. Boron deficiency may alter the levels of vitamins or sugars in... 

The water-soluble vitamins are a highly diverse group of compounds with differing physicochemical properties. A single vitamin generally consists of several vitamers, or chemical species, each of which exhibits the same biological activity in vivo. Individual vitamers with the same biological functions often exhibit vastly different physicochemical properties. This necessitates unique extraction and separation procedures for each vitamin. As a result, each vitamin is considered individually in this chapter. A section on methods that determine multiple vitamins simultaneously is also included. 

For each vitamin, the food sources, biochemistry, metabolism, and biological functions, including both vitamin and nonvitamin activities, will be discussed briefly. References to recent review articles are included for the benefit of readers requiring more detailed information. 

The characteristic reactions of the biological function of Vitamin B12, such as methylations and isomerizations, are rather unusual in organic chemistry and numerous synthetic compounds have been proposed as models for the coenzyme. 

Vitamin B12 is a biologically active corrinoid, a group of cobalt-containing compounds with macrocyclic pyrrol rings. Vitamin B12 functions as a cofactor for two enzymes, methionine synthase and L-methylmalonyl coenzyme A (CoA) mutase. Methionine synthase requires methylcobalamin for the methyl transfer from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to form methionine tetrahy-drofolate. L-methylmalonyl-CoA mutase requires adenosylcobalamin to convert L-methylmalonyl-CoA to succinyl-CoA in an isomerization reaction. An inadequate supply of vitamin B12 results in neuropathy, megaloblastic anemia, and gastrointestinal symptoms (Baik and Russell, 1999). 

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin involved in critical biological functions, such as embryonic development, growth and vision. It has three primary forms retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. In addition, (3-carotene can be converted to some extent in the body into retinol and is therefore called provitamin A. The bioactivity of these vitamin A compounds varies considerably, ranging from 100% for all-trans retinol, 75% for 13-eis retinol and to just 17% for (3-carotene. All-trans retinol is the major form of vitamin A in milk fat, with values ranging from 8.0 to 12.0 pg/g fat in samples of commercial butter. In contrast, 13-cA retinol is present at a very low... 

Vitamin B12 Stereochemical aspects of its biological functions and of its biosynthesis... 

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