Quasi vitamins, p aminobenzoic acid (clinical uses)

1. Quasi vitamins:
p-Aminobenzoic
Acid (pAA)
Domina Petric, MD

2. Precursor to folate in bacteria
p-Aminobenzoic Acid is an
essential growth factor for
many species of bacteria,
which use it as a precursor
for the biosynthesis of folate.
28.4.2018. Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.

3. Clinical uses
pAA can antagonize the
bacteriostatic effects of
sulfonamide drugs owing to
similarities in chemical structure.
It has a very high absorbance in
the ultraviolet (UV) range and is
used as a UV-screening agent in
sun-blocking preparations.
28.4.2018. Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.

4. Clinical uses
• In a randomized, controlled trial,
pAA was found to inhibit
fibroblast proliferation and to
promote the reduction of fibrous
plaques that cause penile
deformation in patients
with Peyronie’s disease.
28.4.2018. Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.

5. Clinical uses
Because its metabolism is
limited, pAA can be used in
clinical situations as a marker of
the completeness of 24-hour
urine collections, 70-85%
appearing in the urine after a
single oral dose.
28.4.2018. Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.

6. Clinical uses
• Its glutamyl ester, p-aminobenzoylglutamate,
is the primary catabolite of folate,
produced by cleavage of the C9-N10 bond.
• Excreted in the urine as
p-acetamidobenzoylglutamate, urinary
levels of pAA reflect the total body folate
pool and can serve as an indicator of
long-term folate status.
28.4.2018. Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.

7. Literature
• Combs GF. The Vitamins. Fundamental Aspects
in Nutrition and Health. Elsevier Inc. 2008.
28.4.2018.