Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is a water-soluble vitamin essential for synthesizing coenzyme A and metabolizing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, found in various foods like whole grains and eggs. Deficiency is rare, with symptoms similar to other B vitamin deficiencies, including fatigue and neurological issues, but can be reversed upon reinstating vitamin intake. It has a low toxicity level, with no established upper intake limit, and is a common ingredient in multivitamin supplements.

1. PANTHOTHENIC ACID
(B5]

2.  Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5 , is a water soluble
vitamin . Pantothenic acid is an essential nutrient. Animals
require pantothenic acid in order to synthesize coenzyme-
A (CoA), as well as to synthesize and
metabolize proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The anion is
called pantothenate.
 Pantothenic acid is the amide between pantoic acid and β-
alanine. Its name derives from the Greek pantot.
 Pantos, meaning "from everywhere", and small quantities of
pantothenic acid are found in nearly every food, with high
amounts in fortified whole-grain cereals, egg yolks, liver and
dried mushrooms.
 Discovers Roger j. Williams in 1919.

3.  Discovered in 1919 by R.J. Williams.
 Isolated from yeast in 1933.
 Derived from pantothen which is Greek for
“everywhere” because it is widely found in
most foods.
 Also referred to as provitamin B5 and
pantethenol.
 Synthesized in 1940.

5. When found in foods, most pantothenic acid is in the form
of CoA or bound to acyl carrier protein (ACP). For the
intestinal cells to absorb this vitamin, it must be converted
into free pantothenic acid. Within the lumen of the
intestine, CoA and ACP are hydrolyzed into 4'-
phosphopantetheine. The 4'-phosphopantetheine is then
dephosphorylated into pantetheine. Pantetheinase, an
intestinal enzyme, then hydrolyzes pantetheine into free
pantothenic acid.
Free pantothenic acid is absorbed into intestinal cells via a
saturable, sodium-dependent active transport system.

6.  Absorption: It is present in food either free form or
coenzyme form
 Coenzyme form is hydrolyzed to free form by
intestinal pyrophosphatase
 Free pantothenic acid is absorbed from upper part of
small intestine by sodium dependent transport system
 Transport it enters portal circulation & transported to
various tissues
 Coenzyme A & Form
 Coenzyme A & 4-phosphopantetheine

7.  Coenzyme A & Form
 Coenzyme A & 4-phosphopantetheine
 Pantothenic acid is first phosphorylated to
form 4phospho pantothenic acid
 4-phosphopantothenic acid is converted
into 4phosphopantothenylcysteine by the
transfer of cysteine molecule to 4-
phosphopantothenic acid
 4-phosphopantothenylcysteine is
decarboxylated to form 4-
phosphopantetheine

8.  Dietary
Content of pantothenic acid varies among
manufactured and natural foods, especially
fortified ready-to-eat cereals, infant
formulas, energy bars and dried foods. Major
food sources of pantothenic acid are dried
mushrooms, liver, dried egg yolks and
sunflower seeds. Whole grains are another
source of the vitamin, but milling removes
much of the pantothenic acid, as it is found
in the outer layers of whole grains. In animal
feeds, the most important sources are alfalfa,
cereal, fish meal, peanut meal, molasses,
mushrooms, rice, wheat bran, and yeasts.

9. The derivative of pantothenic acid,
pantothenol (panthenol), is a more stable
form of the vitamin and is often used as a
source of the vitamin in multivitamin
supplements. Another common
supplemental form of the vitamin is calcium
pantothenate. Calcium pantothenate is often
used in dietary supplements because, as a
salt, it is more stable than pantothenic acid.

10.  According to RDA(2010)
Age group Age Adequate intake
Infants 0–6 months 1.7 mg
Infants 7–12 months 1.8 mg
Children 1–3 years 2 mg
Children 4–8 years 3 mg
Children 9–13 years 4 mg
Adult men and women 14+ years 5 mg
Pregnant women (vs. 5) 6 mg
Breastfeeding women (vs. 5) 7 mg

11.  Pantothenic acid deficiency is exceptionally rare and has not been
thoroughly studied. In the few cases where deficiency has been seen
(victims of starvation and limited volunteer trials), nearly all
symptoms can be reversed with the return of pantothenic acid.
 Symptoms of deficiency are similar to other vitamin B deficiencies.
There is impaired energy production, due to low CoA levels, which
could cause symptoms of irritability, fatigue, and apathy.
 Acetylcholine synthesis is also impaired; therefore, neurological
symptoms can also appear in deficiency; they include
numbness, paresthesia, and muscle cramps. Deficiency in
pantothenic acid can also cause hypoglycemia, or an increased
sensitivity to insulin. Insulin receptors are acylated with palmitic
acid when they do not want to bind with insulin. Therefore, more
insulin will bind to receptors when acylation decreases, causing
hypoglycemia.
 Additional symptoms could include restlessness, malaise, sleep
disturbances, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps.

13. Toxicity of pantothenic acid is unlikely. In fact, no
Tolerable Upper Level Intake (UL) has been
established. Large doses of the vitamin, when
ingested, have no reported side effects and massive
doses (e.g., 10 g/day) may only yield mild diarrhea.
There are also no adverse reactions known following
parenteral (injected) or topical (skin) applications of
the vitamin. Pantothenic acid, in an animal study, was
shown to induce adrenal hyper-responsiveness to
stress stimulation.

14.  Pantothenic acid is also known as B5. Its widely found
in both in plants and animals includes meat,
vegetable, cereals grains and legumes, eggs and milk.
 Vitamin B complex generally includes B1,B2,B3,B5,B12,
and folic acid. However some products do not contain
all these ingredients and some may others, such as
Biotin, para aminobenzoic acid, choline, bitartrate and
inosital.

15.  Whether high-dose oral contraceptive agents affected
pantothenic acid metabolism /was investigated/ in 13
women between the ages of 19 and 24 years enrolled in a 12-
day confined study. At the end of the study, blood levels
and urinary pantothenic acid excretion were similar in the
subjects and controls.
 The investigators concluded that high-dose oral
contraceptive agents do not cause significant changes in
the biochemical parameters of pantothenic acid.
[NAS, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine;
Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin,
Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin,
and Choline. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.,
pg. 362, 1998. Available from, as of March 2, 2010:

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