Vitamin formation from 7-dehydrocholesterol

This phytosterol is widely distributed in brown algae, bacteria and higher plants. It is important as the precursor of ergocalciferol or vitamin D2, into which it is converted by ultraviolet irradiation. The change is the same as that which takes place in the formation of vitamin D3 from 7-dehydrocholesterol and involves opening of the second phenanthrene ring. 

The anti-rachitic factors resulting from the ultraviolet irradiation of cholesterol (40) and ergosterol (41) namely vitamin Dj (42) cholecalciferol and Dj, ergocalciferol (43) respectively are important dietary materials the chemistry of which was only elucidated by the investigations of many chemists (ref.41). Vitamin Dj is most easily derived by semi-synthesis from cholesterol through formation firstly of 7-dehydrocholesterol by reaction with N-bromosuccinimide followed by dehydrobromination with collidine. Ultraviolet light irradiation affords previtamin Dj which is thermally isomerised to the endo compound shown and thence to the exo... 

Chemistry. There are two forms of vitamin D, and both are considered biologically equivalent. Irradiation of the major plant sterol, ergosterol, produces ergocalciferol, also known as vitamin Dg (Fig. 8.11).Because they are photochemical reactions and in contrast to enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reactions, the formation of cholecalciferol is not clean. Exposure of human skin to sunlight of295-300 nm converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to provitamin D,. The isomerization to cholecalciferol (vitamin Dg) is heat catalyzed. Continuous exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun results in the reversible formation of lumisterol... 

Vitamin D is associated with biological functions, such as bone formation, immune system responses, cell defences and anti-tumour activity.615,616 Vitamin D comes in two closely related forms, vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), and their metabolites. Both vitamin D2 and D3 occur naturally in some foods. However, vitamin D3 (63) can also be synthesized in skin cells called keratinocytes from 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D 64), which undergoes a photochemical six-electron conrotatory electrocyclic ring opening at 280nm to previtamin D3 (41 see also Scheme 6.8), which spontaneously isomerizes to 63 in a thermal antarafacial hydride [l,7]-sigmatropic shift (Scheme 6.21). Both vitamin D2 and D3 are subsequently converted to active hormone 1,25-D by enzymes in several steps. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D for humans is 5 10 pg per day. For example, 15 ml of fish liver oils and 100 g of cooked salmon contain approximately 35 and 10 pg... 

After absorption, oxysterols react with blood plasma lipoproteins to form complexes that can initiate formation of atherosclerotic deposits in the vascular wall. However, the important oxidation reaction from the physiological point of view is the transformation of provitamins D (ergosterol and 7-dehydrocholesterol) into vitamins D2 and Dj, respectively. 

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