The document provides a comprehensive overview of vitamins, categorizing them into fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (B complex and C) groups, detailing their structures, sources, daily requirements, functions, and deficiency diseases. Each vitamin is discussed with specific functions such as supporting vision, regulating calcium levels, and aiding in energy metabolism. The document emphasizes the importance of vitamins in maintaining health and highlights the consequences of deficiencies.

1. DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY
Vitamins: Occurrence, Classification, Structure
and Function of various Vitamins and their
deficiency diseases.
NAME:- MALI HARSH M.
ROLL NO:- 11
M.Sc. SEM II
GUIDED BY:- M.F. MANSURI SIR

2. VITAMINS
In 1911, Funk coined the term vitamine for such
substance that are vital for life and whose
deficiencies cause diseases later, this name was
shortened to vitamin.
Vitamins are the accessory, indispensible food
factor these are organic in nature, required in
minute quantities and their deficiency results into
diseased state.
There properties two groups were identified
1. Fat soluble vitamin
2. Water soluble vitamin

3. Fat soluble vitamin which can be stored in body
tissue some times causing toxicity due to
accumulation .besides being dietary factors.
Fat soluble group was resolved into the four vitamin
groups A ,D,E and K.
Water soluble vitamins are stored in the body to a
limited extent and required in diet to maintain a
stable concentration.
Water soluble group was resolved into the vitamin
groups B and C.

4. Fat soluble vitamins
Vitamin A
It is an ancient vitamin but the credit of it’s
discovery goes to Mccollum and Davis and Osborne
and Mendal in 1913.
Structure
(Retinol)

5. Sources :- Vegetables and fruits (carrot, sweet potato,
apricot yellow peaches and leafy green vegetables).
Animal sources : fish liver oil, milk, egg, and cheese.
Daily requirement :- 750 µg
Function :-
Hormone and as the visual pigment of the
vertebrate eye.
Regulates gene expression in the development of
epithelial tissue including skin.
Drug tretinoin ( Retin-A) used in the treatment of
serve acne and skin.
Maintains resistance to infection.

6. Maintain the structure and function of epithelial
structure.
Deficiency Diseases:-
Retina to light producing a neuronal signal to the
brain.
Night blindness:- the capacity to look into dark is
decreased.
Xerophthalmia :- morphological changes in
epithelial surface result into xerophthalmia
Hypervitaminosis A :- dry skin, disturb hair growth,
fissure of lips, tenderness of bones, headache.
Excess of vitamin may be toxic resulting in
headache and vomiting.

7. Vitamin D
Mccollum in 1925 proposed the name vitamin D
A group of sterol ( D1, D2, D3, D4, D5)
The physiologically active forms are D2 & D3
Structure :-

8. Sources :- liver and viscera of fish other sources are
egg, cheese and milk.
Daily requirement : - 200 IU
Function:-
Photo chemical reaction driven by the UV
component of sunlight.
A hormone regulates calcium uptake in the intestine
and calcium levels in kidney and bone.
A commercial product formed by Uv irradiation of
the ergosterol of yeast.
Regulates gene expression by interacting with
specific nuclear receptor proteins.
Direct effect on calcification.

9. It increase calcium sand phosphorous absorption from
intestine.
It increase citrate contents of blood, bones, kidney,
heart and small intestine.
Is involved in renal handling of phosphorous.
Deficiency Diseases:-
Leads to defective bone formation and the disease
rickets.
Bow legs, knock knees, pigeon brest and beaded
apperances of ribs.
Rickets a disease caused by lack of calcification of
bones.
Excess of vitamin toxic to general weakness, nausea,
vomiting and diarrhoea.

10. Vitamin E
Vitamin E was isolated by Evans and coworkers.
There is little evidence to suggest that vitamin is of
nutritional significances in man for some vitamin E
was referred to as antifertillity vitamin.
Closely releated lipids and tocopherols .
Structure:-

11. Source :- milk, egg, meat, fish, cereals and leafy
vegetables.
Daily requirements:- 30mg
Function:-
Acts as cofactor in electron transfer system
between cytochrome b and c
Develop scaly skin, muscular weakness and wasting
and sterility.
It prevent hepatic necrosis produced by lack of ‘S’
containing amino acid in dietary proteins.

12. Deficiency diseases :-
Vitamin causes various effect on the nervous,
reproductive, muscular, cardiovascular and
haemopoietic systems.

13. Vitamin K
In 1935 Dam and coworkers identified an
antihaemorrhagic factor in chickens, which he
named vitamin K ( koaggulation vitamin).
It was first isolated as a fat-soluble substance from
hog liver and alfalfa. It is found to be concentrated
in chloroplasts of leaves and in many oils.
Two natural forms K1 and K2
Structure:-

14. Source :- green vegetables, cauliflower, peas, cereals ,
tomato, egg, yolk and cheese.
Daily requirements:-120 µg
Function :-
Biosynthesis of blood clotting factors.
Bone metabolism and regulating blood calcium
levals.
Deficiency diseases:-
Slows blood clotting which can be fatal.

15. Water soluble vitamin
Vitamin B
The B complex group comprises a variety of
compounds which function as coenzyme as well as
nutritional factor traditionally there are ten
compounds that are included in the B complex
group.
1. Thiamine (B1) 6. Pantothenic acid(B5)
2. Nicotinic acid 7. Cyanocobalamin (B12)
3. Pyridoxine(B6) 8. folic acid(B9)
4. Riboflavin (B2) 9. Choline
5. Biotin(B7) 10. Inositol

16. Thiamine (B1)
Thiamine is the oldest member of B complex it was
identified as an essentintial food factor in 1926 it
received it’s name as vitamin B1.
Structure:-
Source:- cereals, grains, liver, heart and kidney, meat,
legumes and nuts.
Daily requirements :- 0.5mg
(Thiamine)

17. Function :-
Thiamin is the coenzyme.
Helps the body’s cells change carbohydrates into
energy.
Thiamin also plays a role in muscular contraction
and conduction of nerve signals.
Deficiency disease:-
Beri beri a prevalent disease in the east caused by
eating polished rice.
Nervous systems and the cardiovascular systems.
Loss of appetite.

18. Nicotinic acid
It is an essential component of the coenzyme NAD
and NADP in which nicotinic acid occurs as it’s
amide.
Structure :-
Source :- fish, meat, eggs, whole grains, bread,
cereals, nuts and legumes .

19. Function:-
Catalyze oxidation-reduction reaction and are
associated with dehydrogenases.
Play essential roles in energy metabolism in the
living cell and DNA repair.
Deficiency disease:-
 Dermatitis, diarrhoea and dementia.
Central nervous system is also affected.
Functioning of the peripheral nerves is also
disturbed.

20. Pyridoxine (B6)
This vitamin was named as B6 in 1939 it is known to
occur in three natural forms pyridoxine , pyridoxal
and pyridoxamine .
Structure:-
Source :- meat, liver, white grain, bread cereals,
soybean and vegetables.
Daily requirements :- 1.5 mg

21. Function :-
A key role in metabolism ,brain function and
healthy hair and skin.
it’s significant to protein ,fat and carbohydrate
metabolism and the creation of red blood cell.
Deficiency diseases:-
Diseases of skin, nervous system and blood .
Skin diseases include skin lesions around eyes, nose
and mouth.

22. Riboflavin (B2)
In 1932 Warburg and Christian identified a yellow
respiratory enzyme in yeasts.
Structure :-
Daily requirement :- 1.2 to 1.6 mg
Sources :- milk, liver, kidney, heart, germinating seeds
& green vegetables are the best source of riboflavin.
(Riboflavin)

23. Function :-
It plays a vital role in maintaining the body’s energy
supply.
Riboflavin helps convert carbohydrates into
adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Deficiency diseases:-
Causes anaemia associated with reticuloeytopenis
linked with disturbance in folic acid and
metabolism.
Sometimes dermatitis of the face and extremities
also occur .

24. Biotin(B7)
it was discovered in 1936 by Kogl and Tonnis who
isolated it from the egg yolk.
Structure:-
Daily requirements :- 100 to 200µg
Source :- meat, egg, yolk,and nuts are rich source .
(Biotin)

25. Function :-
Biotin to help convert certain nutrients into energy.
The health of your hair,skin,and nails.
Deficiency diseases :-
Failure of growth, loss of hair, dermatitis, poor in
coations and loss of muscular control.

26. Panthothenic acid(B5)
 Wiliams and co-workers identified as essential
growth factor in yeasts in 1933 and named
pantothenic acid.
Structure:-
Daily growth :- 4 to 7 mg
Source :- important sources are yeast, liver, rice,
polishing wheat,milk, meat, egg, leafy vegetables
and fruits.
Pantothenic acid

27. Function :-
Necessary for making blood cell.
It helps you convert the food you eat into energy.
Deficiency diseases:-
Neuromuscular degeneration and adrenocortical
malfunctioning.
Fatigue, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps,
sleeplessness and vomiting.

28. Cyanocobalamin (B12)
Cyanocobalamin is a complex vitamin and a
derivative of cobamide compounds .
However some amount of vitamin B12 is synthesized
in the large intestine of man and is not available for
absorption.
Structure:-
cyanocobalamin

29. Sources :- liver, kidney, meat, fish, and egg.
Function :-
Helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy
and helps make DNA.
Crucial to the normal function of the brain and the
nervous system.
Plays a part in the synthesis of fatty acids and
energy production .
Deficiency diseases :- reduced absorption because of
lack of intrinsic factor resulting into pernicious
anemia.

30. Folic acid(B9)
Derivative of compounds called pterines .
The most common form of folic acid is
pteroylglutamic acid.
Structure:-
Sources :- yeast, liver and leafy vegetables like
cauliflower are the major sources of folic acid.
Daily requirements:-400 to 800mg
(Folic acid)

31. Function:-
A specific role to play in intracellular metabolism.
Helps your body produce and maintain new cells
and also helps prevent changes to DNA.
Deficiency diseases :-
Small intestine.
Man causes megaloblastic anemia.

32. Choline
Choline is an important dietary factor in animal
nutrition.
Choline is trimethylethanolamine.
Structure:-
Sources :-meat, egg, yolk, bread, cereals, beans and
peanuts are good sources.
Daily requirements:-200 to 600 mg

33. Function:-
It is a structural component of plasma membrane
and plasma lipoproteins.
Acetylcholine is synthesized from choline and acetyl
CoA by acetyltransferase.
Deficiency diseases :-
Low blood pressure, sweating
Diarrhea .
Swings or mood disorders.

34. Inositol is an isomer of glucose and is an essential
growth factor of human and animal cells in tissue
culture.
Structure :-
Source:- plants and animal origin, yeast, milk, nuts
and fruits .
Daily requirement:- 2 to 18 gram
Inositol

35. Function :-
Plays a structural role in your body as a major
component of cell membranes.
It also influences the action of insulin.
A hormone essential for blood sugar control.
Deficiency diseases:-
Factor in tissue culture because of it’s structural role
in cell membrane.
Rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath
,dizziness,sweating and numb sensation in the
hands.

36. Vitamin C
Ascorbic acid is a hexose derivative and is properly
classified as a carbohydrate. It is a white crystalline
substances and highly soluble in water
Structure:-
Ascorbic acid

37. Sources :- citrus fruit like amla, tomatoes, lemon,
lime, berries, grapes, cabbages, and green
vegetables.
Daily requirements:-65 to 90 mg
Function :-
Which is an important amino acid of collagen.
The formation of bile salts.
The conversion of folic acid to folinic acid.
Absorption and metabolism of iron.

38. Deficiency diseases :-
Leads to scurvy in adults, drugaddicts, alcoholics as
well as in infants.
Defective collagen synthesis with the consequent
weakening of limb bone and arteries .
Characterized by loosening of the teeth, gingivitis
and anemia due to defective synthesis of
haemoglobin.

39. Referance
• Nelson D.L.,Cox M.M.;Lehninger Principal of
Biochemistry ;ch -10 (lipids);6th Edition;W.H
freeman & company;2013;Pg:- 373-375.
• Rastogi S.C.Biochemistry;Tata Me GrawHill
Publishing Co.Ltd.;2003;Pg:- 484-505.