Vitamins are organic compounds that are required in small amounts for normal growth and maintenance of life. They are classified as either fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) or water-soluble (B complex, C). Deficiencies can occur due to inadequate intake or malabsorption and cause diseases like beriberi, rickets, and scurvy. The document provides details on sources, daily requirements, and deficiency symptoms of each vitamin. It emphasizes the importance of vitamins for health and outlines how requirements vary based on age, gender, and physiological state.

1. VITAMINS
By
Dr.S.Maneemegalai
Assistant Professor & Head
Department of Biochemistry
Government Arts and Science College (Women)
[ Formerly Bharathidasan University Constituent
College for Women]
Orathanadu – 614 625
Thanjavur Dt
28.05.2020

2. Vitamins
Definition:
Vitamins are the naturally occuring
organic compounds required in
minute amounts for the
maintenance and normal growth of
the life.

3. MACRO NUTRIENTS
• Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates
• The Proportion of energy supplied is
• Protein 7-15%
• Fats 10-30%
• Carbohydrate 65-80%
2 Main Groups

4. Classification of Vitamins
• Vitamins are generally classified as water-
soluble vitamins and fat-soluble vitamins.
• I. Fat-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamin A, D, E and K are fat-soluble
vitamins.
• II. Water-Soluble Vitamins
• Vitamins in B-group and vitamin C are
water-soluble vitamins.

5. DAILY HUMAN REQUIREMENTS OF
VITAMINS
 Younger one requires higher quantities
 Performance of exercises 
 During ailments 
 Specific conditions of metabolic disorders ( no proper
utilization of vitamins )

6.  Growing children requires high quantities of Vitamin D
 During Pregnancy and lactation (Vitamin D)
 Under conditions of greater utilization of
carbohydrates B complex requirement 
 Generally Vitamin requirement is not fixed, it depends
on the metabolic activity ( heavy muscular work,
pregnancy and lactation, growing Children).
DAILY HUMAN REQUIREMENTS OF VITAMINS

7. DEFICIENCIES OF VITAMINS
• PRIMARY: Due to inadequate intake
• SECONDARY: Due to Malabsorption,
increased excretion, allergies, anorexia,
gastrointestinal disorders etc.

8. Vitamin A
Bright eye Vitamin
• Source:
Liver oils of various Fishes, butter, milk, eggs,
all pigmented (particularly yellow) vegetables
and fruits (carrots, pumpkins, turnips,
pappayas, tomatos, plums, cherries, mangoes)
contain provitamin form of Vitamin A.
Vitamin A is absent from vegetable fats and
oils.
Vitamin A originates in marine algae, then
passes up the food chain to reach the large
carnivorous animals.

9. Vitamin A
• Requirement
• 5000IU/day

10. DEFICIENCY
leads to the onset of many diseases.
Keratomalacia (softening of the cornea)
 Phrynoderma or toad skin (hard and horny skin)
and stunted growth.

11. Nyctalopia or Night blindness.
 Xerophthalmia ( scaly condition of the delicate
membrane covering the eyes)
DEFICIENCY

12. VITAMIN - D SUNSHINE VITAMIN
Source:
Liver oils of many fishes, egg yolks. Provitamin
form is present in human skin and converted to
active form by irradiating with UV light.

13. It is required for the calcification of bones and
teeth.
It encourages the absorption of calcium and
phosphates in to the blood.

14. Vitamin D
• Requirements
• Adult Man – 100 IU
• Pregnant,lactating
Mother, infants-
220 IU

15. DEFICIENCY
 Rickets (childhood)
 Osteomalacia (adult, high among women)-
bones become softer, loss of calcium is greater
than phosphorous.
 Bone deformities, deposition of inorganic
materials on the matrix of bones fail to occur.

16. VITAMIN - E
ANTISTERILITY FACTOR
 Source: Many plant oils such as wheat germ,
rice, corn, cotton seed, soybean and peanut.
Small amount in meat, milk, eggs, leafy plants
and some fruits.
 It serves as an antioxidant and prevent the
oxidation of various vitamins present in food.

17. Vitamin E
• Requirements
• Children : 10 – 15 IU
• Adults : 20 – 25 IU

18. DEFICIENCY
 Sterility develops in animals.
 Vitamin E deficiency prevents normal
growth.

19. VITAMIN - K
COAGULATION VITAMIN
It is called as antihemorrhagic factor.
Source: Green vegetables like Spinach,
cauliflower, cabbage and some intestinal
bacteria.

20. Vitamin K

21. DEFICIENCY
 Deficiency causes loss of blood clotting power.
 The infants develop hemorrhage.
 In Man vitamin K deficiency results in steatorrhea
with diminished intestinal absorption of lipids.

22. VITAMIN - B COMPLEX
VITAMIN - B1 ( THIAMINE)
 Source: All plants and animal foods.
 Cereals, heart, liver and kidney are excellent
sources.
 In cereals the outer layers of seeds are rich in
thiamine.

23. Thiamine
• Requirements
• Adult : 1.0 mg
• Children: 0.4 – 1.3 mg

24. DEFICIENCY
Beriberi- Disease of the nervous system leading
to partial paralysis of the extremities, muscular
atrophy, cardiovascular changes and
gastrointestinal disorders.
Symptoms of nervous system- dry beriberi
Symptoms with edema and effusions- wet
beriberi
Symptoms involving heart- acute pernicious
beriberi.

25. VITAMIN - B2(RIBOFLAVIN)
 Source
 Milk,cheese,egg,liver,kidney,heart and brewers yeast
are excellent sources.
 Cows milk contains about 5 times much riboflavin as
human milk.
 Leafy vegetables are good sources.
 Fruits and root vegetables contain moderate
quantities.

26. Grains,cereals and milled flour contain low
riboflavin content.
But riboflavin content increases during
germination.
The most important, ordinary cooking
processes do not affect the riboflavin
content of the food.
VITAMIN - B2(RIBOFLAVIN)

27. Riboflavin
• Requirements
• Children : 1 – 1.8mg
• Adult: 1.5 – 1.8mg

28. DEFICIENCY
 Cheilosis (fissures at the corners of the mouth
and lips)
 glossitis (inflammation of the tongue)
 corneal vascularisation (bloodshot eyes).

29. VITAMIN B3(NICOTINIC ACID)
OR
NIACIN
Source:
Widely distributed in nature in plant and
animal tissues.
Dietary tryptophan can be converted to
niacin.
Liver,lean pork,salmon,poultry and red meat
are good sources.

30. VITAMIN - B3(NICOTINIC ACID)
OR
NIACIN
Source:
Cereals contain only small amounts.
Vegetables and fruits are poor sources.
But milk and egg as such they contain no niacin
but contain tryptophan.

31. Requirements
• Adults : 17 – 21mg/day
• Infants: 6mg/day

32. DEFICIENCY
Causes pellagra (skin rough) in man, black
tongue in dogs.
Pellagra is characterized by 3”Ds”-dermatitis of
the exposed parts,diarrhoea and dementia.
The lesions on hand have the appearance of a
glove (Pellagrous glove) Pellagrous boot,
casal necklace.

33. DEFICIENCY
Coffee is particularly rich in niacin,heavy
coffee drinkers do not develop pellagra,corn
is deficient in tryptophan.Pellagra is greatly
aggravated in persons kept on a corn diet.

34. VITAMIN - B5(PANTOTHENIC ACID)
• Source:
widespread in nature,yeast,liver and eggs
are the richest sources.
Potatoes,sweatpotatoes,cabbage,cauliflow
er,tomatoes,peanuts contain less amount.

35. DEFICIENCY
In rats depigmentation of hair.
in human generally no definite deficiency
syndrome has been ascribed to
pantothenic acid.

36. VITAMIN - B6(PYRIDOXINE)
• Source
Widely distributed in plants and animals.
Rich in cereals (wheat ,rice), peas, carrot,
potatoes, sweat potatoes, bananas,
watermelons and yeasts.
Egg yolk, salmon ,chicken ,fish, beef, pork and
liver,human and cows milk.

37. Requirements
• Adults: 2mg/day
• Infants: 0.3 – 0.4 mg/day

38. DEFICIENCY
In infants convulsion, anemia, dermatitis and
gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea and
vomitting.
B6-deficient anemia iron utilization failure and
hemoglobin synthesis affected.

39. VITAMIN - B7(BIOTIN)
• Source
• Wide range of distribution both in the
animal and the vegetable kingdoms.
Yeast, liver, kidney, milk are rich sources.
• Peanuts and eggs have lesser amount.

40. Requirements
• Adults: 25 – 30µg/day
• Children: 20 - 40µg/day

41. DEFICIENCY
Is rare, but feeding egg white leads to
dermatitis, loss of hair, decrease in weight
and edema.

42. VITAMIN - B9(FOLIC ACID)
• Source
• Widely distributed. Liver, kidney, tuna fish,
salmon, yeast, wheat, dates and spinach.
Root vegetables, sweet potatoes, rice, corn,
tomatoes, banana, pork and lamb contain
little folic acid.

43. Requirements
• Adults: 400 – 500 µg/day
• Children: 100 – 300µg/day
• Pregnant Woman: 800µg/day

44. DEFICIENCY
Leads to megaloblastic anemia, glossitis
and gastro intestinal disorders.

45. VITAMIN - B12
(CYANOCOBALAMIN)
• Source
• Occur only in animals, chief source is liver.
• It is present in milk, meat, eggs, fish, oyster.
• In plants it is present in spirulina.
• Micro organisms synthesize vitamin B12.

46. Requirements
• Adults: 3µg/day
• Children: 1-2 µg/day

47. DEFICIENCY
Juvenile pernicious anemia-Adult pernicious
anemia, characterized by RBC becoming
abnormally large and fewer in number.
The patient weakens, loses weight and the
nervous system is also gradually affected.

48. VITAMIN - C(ASCORBIC ACID)
• Source
 Present in all fresh fruits and vegetables.
 Citrus fruits (such as orange, lemon, lime) gooseberry,
pineapple, guavas, tomatoes, melons, raw cabbage.
 New potatoes contain large amounts.

49. Requirements
• Adults: 75mg/day
• Infants: 30 mg/day
• Pregnant Women: 100mg/day

50. DEFICIENCY
Scurvy
It include skin changes, fragility of blood
capillaries, gum decay, tooth loss and
bone fracture.

51. References
• Text Book of Medical Biochemistry – Dr.MN Chatterjea & Dr.Rana
Shinde
• Text Book of Biochemistry – Dr.G.R.Agarwal and Dr.O.P.Agarwal
• Internet sources

52. THANK YOU