Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient for humans and many other animals. While most animals can synthesize vitamin C, humans and a few other species like guinea pigs must obtain it from their diets. A lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, which was historically a problem for sailors on long voyages until it was discovered that citrus fruits could prevent the disease. Vitamin C plays many important roles including as an antioxidant, in wound healing, and in producing collagen. Good dietary sources include citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and leafy greens.

1. VITAMINVITAMIN
CC
By : Dr. R.S.SutharBy : Dr. R.S.Suthar
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2. HISTORY OF VITAMIN CHISTORY OF VITAMIN C
 17th
century – sailors got scurvy on ships and ship
surgeon, James Lind, prescribed lemon juice as
preventative.
 Performed an experiment that proved that lemon juice
prevents scurvy.
 We now know today that it is because of the Vitamin C
in the lemon that prevents scurvy or a Vitamin C
deficiency.
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3. VITAMIN C-A BIT INTRODUCTIONVITAMIN C-A BIT INTRODUCTION
 Also known as L-ascorbic acid it is an essential nutrient
for humans.
 It is needed for metabolic reactions in all plants and
animals including H+
ion transfer and maintenance of
intracellular redox potential.
 It is a water soluble vitamin and act as anti-oxidant. Also
facilitates uptake of iron in intestinal tract.
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4. CONTCONT……
 Involved in formation of active form of folic acid.
 It is highly concentrated in pituatary, adrenal, eyes,
platelets and WBCs.
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5. STRUCTURE OF VITAMIN CSTRUCTURE OF VITAMIN C
The effective form for treatment of
colds and flu is the ascorbate form.
The bioactive form of vitamin C is
only the L-form (synthetic ascorbic
acid: 50 % L-form + 50 % D-form;
natural sources of vitamin C contain
only the L- form).
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6. USES OF VITAMIN CUSES OF VITAMIN C
 Protects against immune system deficiencies, cardio
vascular disease, prenatal health problems, eye disease,
and skin wrinkling.
 Helps form collagen in bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood
vessels.
 Helps in absorbtion of iron.
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7. CONTCONT…
 People who have high blood levels of vitamin C live 6
years longer than those who have lower blood levels.
 The main function of Vitamin C in the body is the
manufacture of collagen, the main protein substance of
the human body.
 This protein makes up the structures that hold our bodies
together, such as connective tissues, cartilage or tendons
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8. CONTCONT…
 Vitamin C is essential for wound repair and healthy gums.
 Vitamin C plays an important role in all immune system
functions.
 It helps reduce cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
 Vitamin C is required for synthesis of dopamine,
noradrenaline and adrenaline in the nervous system.
 Vitamin C is also needed to synthesize carnitine.
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9. CONTCONT…
 Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant .
 It can absorb free oxygen radicals.
 Even in small amounts vitamin C can protect
indispensable molecules in the body, such as proteins,
lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA)
from damage by free radicals.
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10. SOURCESSOURCES
 Mostly in citrus fruit and juices (limes, lemons, oranges,
peaches, strawberries, bananas, and grapefruits)
 Also in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, leaf lettuce,
tomatoes, potatoes, and beans.
 There are also vitamin C pills and other things for
supplements.
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11. HOW DOES VITAMIN CHOW DOES VITAMIN C
WORKWORK
 Vitamin C reaches every cell of the body and plays a role
in the making and protecting of our connective tissue that
holds the body together.
 Helps the immune system fight off diseases.
 Helps the cardiovascular system by facilitating fat
metabolism.
 Helps the nervous system by converting amino acids into
neurotransmitters.
 Formation of collagen protects teeth and bones. 11

12. RECOMMENDED DIETARYRECOMMENDED DIETARY
ALLOWANCEALLOWANCE
 The recommended dietary allowance for Vitamin C ranges
from 35 mg in infants to 6 mg in adults.
 Pregnant and lactic female should increase their intake by
20 mg and 40 mg respectively.
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13. EXCRETIONEXCRETION
 Vit. C is a threshold substance and is excreted primarily
through kidney.
 Degree of tissue saturation determines the amount
excreted.
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14. CLINICAL FEATURES OF VIT. CCLINICAL FEATURES OF VIT. C
DEFICIENCY IN INFANT ANDDEFICIENCY IN INFANT AND
CHILDRENCHILDREN
 Lassitude.
 Anorexia.
 Pain in limbs.
 Enlargement of costochondral junction.
 Swollen and spongy gums.
 Papillae in between teeth give appearance of scurvy buds which
bleed easily.
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15. CLINICAL FEATURES OF VIT. CCLINICAL FEATURES OF VIT. C
DEFICIENCY IN ADULTSDEFICIENCY IN ADULTS
 Perifollicular haemorrhages.
 Gum involvement.
 Cork screw hair appearance.
 Petechial haemorrhage.
 Epistaxis may occur.
 Delay wound healing.
 Normocytic normochromic anaemia. 15

16. VITAMIN C IN OTHER ANIMALSVITAMIN C IN OTHER ANIMALS
 All animals need vitamin C
 Some animals can make their own
 Humans, apes, guinea pigs and a few others have lost
this ability
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17. VITAMIN C TOXICITYVITAMIN C TOXICITY
 Vitamin C toxicity is usually not serious and is treated by
stopping Vitamin C supplements.
 Vitamin C toxicity can cause
 Diarrhoea.
 Nausea.
 Stomach cramp.
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18. REQUIREMENTREQUIREMENT
 In general domestic animals such as poultry, ruminants,
swine dogs and cats have the ability to biosynthesize ascorbic
acid in their body.
 Vitamin C requirement for poultry and swine per kg of diet:
 Poultry 50-60 mg.
 Starting pigs 300 mg.
 Finishing pigs-150mg.
 Young calves- 250 mg.
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19. DEFICIENCYDEFICIENCY
 Under practical feeding situations in animals guinea pigs will
develop vitamin C deficiency if the diets are lacking in the
vitamin.
 Farm animals synthesize ascorbic acid from glucose in either
the liver or kidney, and vitamin C deficiency usually does not
occur in such animals.
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20. RUMINANTSRUMINANTS
 Ruminants can synthesize ascorbic acid; however clinical
cases of scurvy in ruminants have been described.
 Death of cows and calves due to scurvy was characterized
by changes in the oral cavity mucosa muzzle and skin
accompanied by weight loss and general unthriftiness.
 In calves there was an extensive dermatosis accompanied
by hair loss and thickening of skin in animals receiving
insufficient milk.
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21. CONTCONT…
 They are more prone to vitamin c deficiency because of
impaired synthesis than monogastric animals since they
cannot rely on exogenous supplies of this vitamin, which
is rapidly destroyed by ruminal microflora.
 Young ruminants are susceptible to deficiency during the
first few weeks of life, when subjected to stress
conditions, including cold, damp environments and
disease an or if limited in colostrum consumption. 21

22. SWINESWINE
 Signs –
 Weakness, fatigue dyspnea, pain in the bones,
haemorrhages of the skin, musculature, adipose
tissue and certain organs.
 Young pig can synthesize ascorbic acid within a week
of birth and both sow colostrum and milk provide a
plentiful source of the vitamin to the nursing pig.
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23. CONTCONT…
 After it is weaned, the pig becomes dependent on it’s own
tissue synthesis of the vitamin to meet it’s metabolic needs .
 The level of available dietary energy is the major factor in
determining the amount of ascorbic acid available to the pig.
 Serum ascorbic acid concentrations as well as urinary output
are directly related to level of energy in diet.
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24. CONTCONT…
 It was also found that a minor stress such as individual
penning will evoke a positive growth response from
supplementary ascorbic acid especially in animals fed in
low energy diet.
 Characteristic findings were haemorrhages and hematomas
in both fetal and maternal placenta and general edema and
subcutaneous haemorrhages in the fetus
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25. POULTRYPOULTRY
 Like swine, poultry are able to synthesize vitamin C and
thus they do not require dietary sources of the vitamin.
 However in newly hatched poultry there is the slow rate of
ascorbate synthesis and this combined with encountered
stress increases probability of vitamin C deficiency.
 The chick is subject to considerable stress conditions such as
rapid growth, exposure to hot and cold temperatures,
starvation.
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26. HORSESHORSES
 Horses , like other farm species synthesize vitamin C, but
stress situations such as bacterial and viral infections have
been reported to lower vitamin C serum levels.
 This is associated with blood parameters, indicating delayed or
disturbed metabolism in young horses.
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27. DOGSDOGS
 The dog is able to synthesize vitamin C. there is controversy
about the therapeutic use of ascorbic acid in canine diseases.
 Vitamin C has been used in treatment of canine viral
infections.
 Vitamin C deficiency also has been reported to be associated
with canine hypertrophic osteodystrophy.
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28. CATSCATS
 As in the dog, vitamin C synthesis in the cat is lower than in
other species.
 It is reported that central nervous system function following
spinal cord injury in the cat is associated with large losses of
ascorbic acid from the region of the injury.
 Treatment of injury with two drugs (nalaxone or methyl-
prednisolone) preserved neurological function and prevented
ascorbate loss.
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29. LABORATORY ANIMALSLABORATORY ANIMALS
 Because of body synthesis the rat, mouse and hamster do
not require dietary vitamin C and studies on scurvy have
been conducted with the guinea pig.
 Signs-
 Reduced feed intake, and weight loss, followed by anaemia
and widespread heamorrhages.
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30. THANK
YOU
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