This document provides information about the biosynthesis of vitamin C. It begins with background on vitamins in general and then discusses vitamin C specifically. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, can be synthesized industrially from glucose. In plants, a major pathway for vitamin C synthesis is the L-galactose pathway, in which GDP-D-mannose is converted to L-ascorbate through four intermediates. The document concludes with the presenters thanking the audience.

1. PRESENTED BY
NUZHAT NAZIR(TOPPER OF
BATCH 14-15)
NAVEED UL MUSHTAQ
DEPT OF BIORESOURCES
KU
BIOSYNTHESIS OF VITAMIN C

2. Vitamins
 Vitamins are essential organic nutrients required in
very small amounts for normal metabolism, growth
and physical well-being.
 Most vitamins are not made in the body, or only in
insufficient amounts, and are mainly obtained
through food. When their intake is inadequate,
vitamin deficiency disorders are the consequence.

3. VITAMINS
 No single food contains all of the vitamins and,
therefore, a balanced and varied diet is necessary for
an adequate intake. Each of the 13 vitamins known
today has specific functions in the body, which
makes every one of them unique and irreplaceable.
 Of the 13 vitamins, 4 are fat-soluble, namely
vitamins A, D, E and K. The other vitamins are
water-soluble: vitamin C and the B-complex,
consisting of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid,
biotin, pantothenic acid and niacin

4. VITAMINS
 While plants and micro organism have the capability
to produce the vitamins necessary for the
metabolism themselves, humans and animals have
unfortunately lost this ability during evolution.
 Because of the lack of specific enzymes for synthesis,
vitamins became essential nutrients for them.

5. VITAMIN A
 Synonyms
 Retinol
 Chemistry
 Retinol and its related
compounds consist of four
isoprenoid units joined
head to tail and contain five
conjugated double bonds.
They naturally occur as
alcohol (retinol), as
aldehyde (retinal) or as
acid (retinoic acid).
VITAMIN A

6. Vitamin D
 Synonyms
 Calciferol; antirachitic factor;
“sunshine” vitamin
 Chemistry
 Vitamin D is a generic term and
indicates a molecule of the general
structure shown for rings A, B, C, and D
with differing side chain structures. The
A, B, C, and D ring structure is derived
from the cyclopentano perhydro
phenanthrene ring structure for
steroids.
 Technically, vitamin D is classified as a
seco-steroid. Seco-steroids are those in
which one of the rings has been broken;
in vitamin D, the 9,10 carbon-carbon
bond of ring B is broken.
Vitamin D

7. Vitamin E
 Synonyms
 Tocopherol
 Chemistry
 A group of compounds
composed of a
substituted chromanol
ring with a C16 side
chain saturated in
tocopherols, with 3
double bonds in
tocotrienols.
Vitamin E

8. Vitamin K
 Synonyms
 Phylloquinone, menaquinone
 Chemistry
 Compounds with vitamin K
activity are 3-substituted 2-
methyl-1,4-naphthoquinones.
 Phylloquinone contains a
phytyl group, whereas
menaquinones contain a
polyisoprenyl side chain with
6 to 13 isoprenyl units at the
3-position.
Vitamin K

9. Vitamin C

10. VITAMIN C
 Synonyms
 Ascorbic acid, hexuronic acid, anti-scorbutic vitamin
 Chemistry
 L-ascorbic acid , dehydro-L-ascorbic acid (2-oxo-L-
gulonic acid- g-lactone).

11. Industrial production
 The synthesis of ascorbic acid was achieved by
Reichstein in 1933
 Today synthetic vitamin C, identical to that occurring
in nature, is produced from glucose on an industrial
scale by chemical and biotechnological synthesis

12. Biosynthesis of vit C
 Although the pathways responsible for L-ascorbate
accumulation in plants are not completely
understood, a major component of plant ascorbate
synthesis is through the L-galactose pathway , in
which GDP-D-mannose is converted to L-ascorbate
by four successive intermediates, as summarized in
Fig.

14. THANK YOU