B.

5 VITAMINS
DeeNuha

Nutrients
Micronutrients

These nutrients are needed in extremely small amounts.

These substance allow the body to produce enzymes,

hormones and other substances essential for health.

They include the vitamins and trace mineral

Macronutrients

These nutrients are needed in extremely large amounts

They provide energy in the body and build and maintain its
structure.

They include carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and also large

scale minerals.

Vitamins
Organic micronutrients that cannot be
synthesized by the organism.
Obtained from suitable foods or taken
as food supplements
Lack of vitamins leads to various health
conditions (maybe fatal).
Sensitive to heat

Biological functions of vitamins

Bind to enzymes as prosthetic
groups or cofactor (B.2,B.7)
Act as hormones or antioxidants
(B.3)
Facilitate the transfer of functional
groups and electrons (B.9)

Vitamin
s

Chemical Structures

Deficiency
Diseases

A group of organic compounds: an alcohol

(retinol), an aldehyde (retinal) and several
polyunsaturated hydrocarbons (carotenes)

Night blindness

Molecular mass: 123-1580

Open-chain and heterocyclic molecules
Metal organic complexes

Beri-beri

A single compound, ascorbic acid

Scurvy

Four structurally similar compounds

produce by different metabolic pathway
from the same precursor, cholesterol (B.3)

Rickets

Vitamin A- Night Blindness

(Nyctalopia)
Symptoms

Unable to see well at night or in poor light.

Due to the disorder of the cells in the retina

that are responsible forvisionin dim light

Causes

Nearsightedness

Cataracts

Diabetes

Vitamin A deficiency

How to cure

new prescription for youreyeglasses

may require surgery if it's the result

ofcataracts.

Excess vitamin A causes

hypervitaminosis which can be fatal

Vitamin B1- Beriberi

Cause:
Lack of thiamine
Types

Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system.

Dry beriberi andWernicke-Korsakoff

syndromeaffect the nervous system.

Symptoms of dry beriberi

Difficulty walking

Loss of feeling (sensation) in hands and feet

Loss of muscle function or paralysis of the lower

legs

Mental confusion/speech difficulties

Symptoms of wet beriberi

Awakening at night short of breath

Increased heart rate

Shortness of breath with activity

Swelling of the lower legs

How to cure:
Thiamine supplements are given through a shot
(injection) or taken by mouth.

Vitamin C- Scurvy
Vitamin C is needed to make collagen
Symptoms lack of vitamin C :
Muscle and joint pain
Tiredness
Appearance of red dots on skin
Bleeding and swelling gums
Treating scurvy
Taking vitamin C supplement
Eating food with high Vitamin C content

Vitamin D - Rickets
A condition that affects bone development in children. It can be generally
inherited.
Symptoms of rickets:
bone pain
poor growth
deformities of the skeleton
(bowed legs, curvature of the spine, and
thickening of the ankles, wrists and knees)
Preventing rickets:
Eating a diet includes vitamin D and calcium
Exposed to sunlight for about 15 min
Consume vitamin D supplement
Yearly vitamin injection

Solubility of Vitamins
Water-soluble vitamins

Vitamins: B, C

Concentrate in blood plasma and intracellular fluids

Short half-elimination times, 30 minutes to several weeks

Should be supplied on daily basis

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamins: A, D, E, K

Accumulated in the liver and fat tissue

Stored for prolonged periods of time (several months)

Consumed less frequent

Preventing Deficiencies
Primary vitamin deficiencies
- Can be prevented by regular intake of vitamin
Secondary vitamin deficiencies
- Developed by certain health disorder, pregnancy, risk
factor
(smoking, excessive alcohol consumption,drugs).
- These reduces the absorption or inhibit biological
function of
vitamins

VITAMIN A, C AND D
have relatively simple
structures and are
particularly important
for preventing diseases.
- Refer Data Booklet page 35

Vitamin A: Retinoids and carotenes

Molecules of retinoids and carotenes

Long hydrocarbon chains
Very few or no polar functional groups
Hydrophobic and insoluble in water

 Low-fat diets lead to secondary

vitamin A deficiencies
Efficient antioxidants
Readily react with molecular
oxygen and free radicals
Absorb visible light
Have bright colours

Retinol
Long chain alcohol with extensive alternating single and
double carbon-carbon bonds
sp hybridization
-electron clouds of adjacent double bonds partly
overlap with one another and form a large cloud of
delocalized electrons
Multi-centre chemical bonding known as electron
conjugation, is similar to electron delocalization in
benzene
Involves 10 carbon atoms: two carbon atoms in sixmembered ring

Carotenes
Longer conjugation system than retinol
Involve up to backbone 22 carbon atoms

Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid

Simple oxygen-rich organic molecule containing
multiple polar functional groups
Water soluble vitamin
- Several hydroxyl group and an ester fragment in the
molecule can form multiple hydrogen bonds with water
Insoluble in fat
- Same polar functional groups
Participates in various metabolic processes
Commonly used as food additives E300 for preventing
oxidative rancidity

Vitamin C as antioxidant and

reducing agent

C6H806 C6H6O6 + 2H+ + 2eC6H6O6 + 2H+ + 2e- C6H806

Determination concentration of acid

Redox Titration Using DCPIP As An Indicator
C12H7NCl2O2 DCPIP indicator
C12H8NCl2O2+ + C6H8O6 C12H9NCl2O2 +
C6 H 6 O 6 + H +
Pink to colourless
When reaction is complete, the pink solution
will reappears

Vitamin D: Cholecalciferol

7-dehydrocholesterol

Cholecalciferol

 Takes place in the skin

Require ultraviolet light to open the second
6-membered ring of 7-dehydrocholesterol
Fat soluble vitamin
- Can be transported by biological fluids in
the form of lipoprotein
complexes
Example: fish oil, liver, eggs , mushrooms

Decomposition of vitamins
Undergo various chemical transformations when
exposed to heat, light and atmospheric oxygen
Fat-soluble vitamins (A and D) are stable to heat
and do not decompose when boiled or steamed
Water-soluble vitamin C is unstable at high
temperature and can be lost by leaching
Overcooked or fried foods can lost more than
50% of fat soluble vitamins and nearly all their
vitamin C
Vitamin A and C favour free-radical reactions so

Application
Transition metals catalyse free-radical reaction
which responsible for accelerated loss of
vitamins in canned foods
Ascorbic acid, is a strong reducing agent, so it
should be protected from atmospheric oxygen
during storage and cooking.
Food fortification is the process of adding
artificial Vitamin D.
- Increases nutritional value of dietary products
- Avoid wide spread deficiencies

 provide a naturally vitamin rich diet; adding vitamins

to common foods / fortification of staple foods;
genetically modifying foods (to increase vitamin
content); providing vitamin tablets / nutritional
supplements;
providing food rations containing fresh foods rich in
vitamins and minerals; providing nutrient supplements;
genetic modification of food; adding nutrients missing
to commonly consumed foods; educating the
population in healthy eating;
[3 max]