vitamins - pharmacology perspective

1. Dr Farhan

2. At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to :
 Classify the vitamins
 Mention the dietary sources, physiological role and deficiency
symptoms of each vitamin
 Remember the therapeutic doses and daily requirements of
the vitamins

3. 1. FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS – A,D,E and K
2. WATER SOLUBLE VITAMINS –
Vitamin B Complex Group : B1,B2,B3,B5,B6 and Biotin
ENERGY RELEASING
Folic Acid and B12 HAEMATOPOIETIC
Non B Complex Group : C

4.  Dietary source: Carrots, milk, mango, cheese, butter, eggs,
fish and liver
 Physiological role:
 Proper vision,
 maintenance of structural integrity of epithelial cells,
 as an anti oxidant,
 bone development and growth in children, immunity,
 spermatogenesis and foetal development

5.  Deficiency symptoms:
 XEROPHTHALMIA – Night blindness, xerosis, bitot’s spots,
keratomalacia
 Skin – Hyperkeratosis
 Lungs – decreased elasticity
 Renal – urinary calculi
 Bones – faulty modelling

6.  Beta carotene
 Tretinoin
 Isotretinoin
 Etretinate
 Tazarotene and Bexarotene
 Acitretin

7.  Adult dose: 1000 microgram per day / 4KIU
 For Deficiency : 50K – 1lakh IU * 3 days
 Drug Interactions -Good friends ~ VIT E and Oral
contraceptives; Bad friends ~ Liquid paraffin

8.  Dietary source: Wheat germ oil, vegetable seed oil, nuts, peas
and egg yolk
 Physiological Role:
 Antioxidant
 Anti sterility factor
 Enhances the use of Vit A

9.  Peripheral Neuropathy with spinocerebellar degeneration
 Sterility in males and abortions in females
 Muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy
 Haemolytic anaemia in premature infants
 CNS anamolies

10.  10-20mg/day; in deficiency for adults 400mg/day and for
children 200mg/day
 Therapeutic uses- nocturnal muscle cramps, fibrocystic breast
disease, intermittent claudication, acanthocytosis, antioxidant
 Drug interaction – Vit E interferes with iron absorption, it
potentiates actions of oral anticoagulants, Vit A, C.