Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for numerous bodily functions including DNA synthesis and repair. It must be obtained through the diet as the human body cannot synthesize it. A lack of folic acid can lead to megaloblastic anemia and neural tube defects in developing embryos. Folic acid is involved in single carbon transfers that are important in the synthesis of amino acids, purines and thymidylate. Certain drugs that inhibit folate metabolism are used as cancer chemotherapy, antibacterial and antimalarial treatments.

1. FOLIC ACID
Dr. Muhammad Sarfraz
M.B.B.S., M.Phil.(Pharmacology)
Senior Demonstrator
Quaid-e-Azam Medical College
Bahawalpur, pakistan.
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2. Folic acid
Vit B 9
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3. Folic acid
B9
• Pteroyl-glutamate
• water-soluble vitamin
• biologically inactive
• biological importance
Conversion in liver
• TETRAHYDROFOLATE
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5. Folic acid
• VITAMIN B9 (FOLIC ACID
AND FOLATE) IS
ESSENTIAL FOR
NUMEROUS BODILY
FUNCTIONS
• OUR BODY CANNOT
SYNTHESIZE FOLATE 5

6. Folic acid
THE HUMAN BODY NEEDS
FOLATE
TO
SYNTHESIZE
• DNA
• REPAIR DNA
• METHYLATION OF DNA
• ACT AS A COFACTOR IN
CERTAIN BIOLOGICAL
REACTIONS 6

7. Folic acid
• IMPORTANT IN
AIDING RAPID CELL DIVISION
GROWTH
SUCH AS IN
FETUS
INFANCY
PREGNANCY
Cancer 7

8. • CHILDREN AND ADULTS BOTH
REQUIRE FOLIC ACID TO
PRODUCE
• HEALTHY RED BLOOD CELLS
AND
• PREVENT ANEMIA
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12. Folic acid
TETRA HYDRO FOLATE
(REDUCED FOLATE)
RECEIVES
ONE-CARBON FRAGMENTS
FROM
SERINE
GLYCINE
AND
HISTIDINE 12

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14. Folic acid
AND TRANSFERS THEM TO
• INTERMEDIATES IN THE SYNTHESIS
OF
AMINO ACIDS, PURINES,
AND THYMIDINE MONO
PHOSPHATE (TMP)—A
PYRIMIDINE FOUND IN DNA 14

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16. Folic acid
• A lack of dietary folates leads
to folate deficiency,
• A complete lack of dietary
folate takes A WEEK before
deficiency develops
• It Is Stored In Our Blood
Plasma, Our Red Blood Cells,
And Liver. 16

17. Folic acid
• This deficiency can result in
many health problems
 MOST NOTABLE ONE BEING
NEURAL TUBE BIRTH
DEFECTS IN DEVELOPING
EMBRYOS
 MACROCYTIC ANEMIA.......
MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA
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18. Folic acid
PERIPHERAL
NEUROPATHY
NERVE DAMAGE WITH
WEAKNESS AND LIMB
NUMBNESS
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19. Folic acid
DNA SYNTHESIS
AND REPAIR
ARE IMPAIRED AND
THIS COULD LEAD TO
CANCER
DEVELOPMENT
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20. Folic acid inhibitors
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21. Folic acid
INHIBITORS OF FOLATE
METABOLISM
PROVIDE
CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY
ANTIBACTERIAL
ANTIMALARIAL DRUGs
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25. Structure of folic acid
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27. Daily requirements
•Two sources
• Diet
•Intestinal bacteria
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28. Daily requirements
• Adults 400- 500 μg
• Infants 50 μg
• Children100μg
• Pregnancy 800 μg
• Lactation 600 μg
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29. FIGLU TEST
• Test for folate deficiency
• In the metabolism of
HISTIDINE, there is folic
acid dependent conversion of
formimino-glutamic acid
(FIGLU)
to glutamic acid 29

30. FIGLU TEST
• In folate deficiency FIGLU
accumulates in the blood and
excreted in urine
• FIGLU excretion in urine
….index of folate deficiency
• HISTIDINE loading test
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31. Folate deficiency and anemia
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32. Folate deficiency and anemia
Inadequate serum levels
Increased Demand For
Example, Pregnancy And
Lactation
Poor Absorption Caused By
Pathology Of The Small
Intestine, Alcoholism. 32

33. Folate deficiency and anemia
Treatment With Drugs That
Are Dihydrofolate Reductase
Inhibitors, For Example,
Methotrexate
Trimethoprim
Pyremethamine
A Primary Result Of Folic
Acid Deficiency
Megaloblastic Anemia 33

34. Folate deficiency and anemia
Affects
Cells That Are Dividing
Rapidly
They Have A Large
Requirement For
Thymidine For DNA
Synthesis
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35. Folate deficiency and anemia
This Affects
Bone Marrow
Leading To
Megaloblastic Anemia
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36. Folate deficiency and anemia
 Inability Of Cells
(Including Red Cell
Precursors)
To Make DNA
And, Therefore,
They Cannot Divide
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39. FOLATE AND NEURAL TUBE
DEFECTS IN THE FETUS
•Spina Bifida
And
•Anencephaly
The Most Common Neural
Tube Defects
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40. FOLATE AND NEURAL TUBE
DEFECTS IN THE FETUS
• Adequate Folate Nutrition Must
Occur At The Time Of Conception
• Critical Folate-dependent
Development Occurs In The
First Weeks Of Fetal Life
• A Time When Many Women Are Not
Yet Aware Of Their Pregnancy
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41. Folate and neural tube defects in the
fetus
• Folic Acid Supplementation Before
Conception And During The First Trimester
Has Been Shown To Significantly Reduce The
Defects.
• Therefore, All Women Of Childbearing Age
Are Advised To Consume
• 0.4 Mg/Day Of Folic Acid
To Reduce The Risk Of Having A Pregnancy
Affected By Neural Tube Defects. 41

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48. Inhibitors of Folate
Metabolism Provide Cancer
Chemotherapy, Antibacterial,
& Antimalarial Drugs
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