Fat soluble

vitamins
Devika vinod
1stPG FDIM
 VITAMINS

• Vitamins are tasteless organic substances that are

indispensable to the normal metabolic processes of
organisms.
• Essential to maintain health and performance, and have to be
supplied with the food.
• Vitamins do not provide energy themselves, but a deficiency
of any vitamin can cause serious symptoms.
Classification of vitamins
The vitamins are mainly classified into two:
• The fat soluble vitamins are A , D, E and K-
Fat-soluble vitamins have specific functions in the development
and maintenance of tissue structures.

• The water soluble vitamins are named as B complex and C-

participate in catalytic functions or act as control mechanisms
in the metabolism, e.g. as co-enzymes.
Fat soluble vitamins

The vitamins A, D, E, K and B-carotene (precursor of

vitamin A) belong to the fat-soluble vitamins.
These are stored in the body for long periods of time and
generally pose a greater risk for toxicity when consumed
in excess.
• The sites of storage are inner organs such as the
kidneys and liver, the muscles, the brain and fat tissue.
 VITAMIN A
Vitamin A was discovered in 1909 in fish liver oil
The term vitamin A refers to a family of fat-soluble
retinoids that include retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid.
• They contain a ring with a polyunsaturated fatty acid
tail. Attached at the end of the fatty acid tail is either an
alcohol group (retinol), an aldehyde group (retinal), or
an acid group (retinoic acid).
 Vitamin A terms
• Retinoids-The term used to describe the family of preformed
vitamin A compounds.
• Retinol-The alcohol form of preformed vitamin A.
• Retinal-The aldehyde form of preformed vitamin A.
• Retinoic acid- The acid form of preformed vitamin A.
• Retinyl ester- The ester form of preformed vitamin A found
in foods and stored in the body.
• Beta-carotene- One of the provitamin carotenoids.
Structure of
vitamin A
 Sources
• Animal sources- eggs, meat,
cheese, milk, liver, kidney, fish liver
oils.
• Plant sources – carrots, sweet
potatoes, apricots, brocolli, spinach,
pumpkin, papaya, mango, green
leafy vegetables, cantaloupe.
• Dairy sources- milk, cheese,
butter, cream etc.
 ABSORPTION OF VITAMIN A
• Beta-carotene is cleaved by a di-oxygenase , to form retinal.
• Retinal is reduced to retinol by an NADH or NADPH dependent
retinal reductase present in intestinal mucosa
• Intestine is major site of absorption.
• The absorption is along with other fats and requires bile salts.
• In biliary tract obstruction and steatorrhea, vitamin A absorption
is reduced.
• It is carried by chylomicrons and transported to liver.
• In the liver cells, vitamin is stored as retinol palmitate.
 DEFICIENCY
1. In children- Retards growth-leads loss of weight
2. Vision in dim light- rhodopsin pigment in retina of eye-
Night Blindness or Nyctalopia
3. Xerophthalmia- reddening, dryness, lusterless
conditions of the eye.
4. Keratomalacia- Cornea becomes soft and disorganised
5. Degenerate- Lacrymal gland, Sweat and Sebaceous
glands of Skin
6. Over dose of Vitamin A- Hypervitaminosis Drowsiness,
sluggishness, severe headache, vomitting and peeling of
the skin.
 VITAMIN D
Vitamin D3 was discovered in 1918 in fish liver oil.
Vitamin D (calciferol) is called the “sunshine vitamin” because it
is derived from the reaction between UV rays and a form of
cholesterol found in the skin.
Found in two forms.
Cholecalciferol or vitamin D3 is the form produced in the skin
and found in animal foods.
Ergocalciferol or vitamin D2 is found in plants and dietary
supplements.
• Both differ chemically in the structure of their side chains.
Sources

• Cheese
• Margarine
• Butter
• Fortified milk
• Healthy cereals
• Fatty fish
• Fish, liver, oils, egg yolk.
• Infants: obtain vit D supplement from mothers milk,
infant formulas, cow milk.
Structure
Enteric absorption of vitamin D

Vitamin D is absorbed from the small intestine by nonsaturable

passive diffusion that is dependent on micellar solubilization
and the presence of bile salts.

The fastest absorption appears to be in the upper portions of

the small intestine: the duodenum and jejunum.

Owing to the longer transit time of food in the distal portion of

the small intestine, the greatest amount of vitamin D
absorption probably occurs in ileum.
 Signs and symptoms
Bone pain or tenderness.
Muscle weakness (rickety myopathy or
floppy baby syndrome”)
Increased tendency for fractures (easily
broken bones), especially
Greenstick fractures
Hypocalcemia
Tetany
Craniotabes (soft skull)
• Skeletal deformity:Cranial, spinal, and
pelvic deformities
 DEFICIENCY
In children:-
RICKETS:- Bone softening diz., deformity of long bones
occur.
In adults:-
OSTEOMALACIA:- Bone thinning disorder, proximal
muscle weakness & bone fragility.
OSTEOPOROSIS:-Decrease bone minerilzation & inc.
Bone fragility.
During vitamin D deficiency, calcium absorption cannot
be increased to meet body’s needs.
• Therefore, calcium is taken from bones to maintain
normal serum levels
VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is chemically known as tocopherol
An alcohol was capable to prevent reproductive failure in
animals
Hence it is known as anti-sterility vitamin
Vitamin E is the name given to group of tocopherols and
tocotrienols
About 8 tocopherols have been identified
Alpha- tocopherol is most active
The tocopherols are derivatives of 6-hydroxy chromane
(tocol) ring with isoprenoid side chain
• The antioxidant property is due to the chromane ring.
There are four main forms of tocopherols
They are:
• a-tocopherol : 5,7,8 trimethyl tocol
• B-tocopherol: 5,8 dimethyl tocol
• y-tocopherol : 7,8 dimethyl tocol
•O-tocopherol: 8 methyl tocopherol
• a-tocopherol is most active and predominant form of
vitamin E
• Tocotrienols: There are four related vitamin E
compounds called α, β,y and 8 tocotrienols.
Sources
• Nuts and seeds
• Vegetable oils
• Green leafy vegetables
• Fortified foods
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Fish liver oils
• Grass, clover, alfalfa, green meal and uncrushed
oilseeds are rich in vitamin E
STRUCTURE
ABSORPTION

• Vitamin E is absorbed along with fat in the upper small

intestine
• Mechanism: Vitamin E combines with Bile salts
(micelles) to form mixed micelle and taken up by the
mucosal cell
• In the mucosal cell, it is incorporated into chylomicrons
In humans, deficiency of vitamin E is seen in
Premature infants:
Transfer of vitamin E from maternal blood occurs during
last few weeks of pregnancy
Impaired absorption: Seen in conditions such as
abetalipoproteinemia (fat malabsorption)
• Obstructive jaundice
• Intestinal diseases such as celiac spure
• Genetic vitamin E deficiency: It is caused lack of a
protein that normally transports a-tocopherol from
hepatocytes to VLDL
Clinical features
Hemolytic anemia or macrocytic anemia seen in premature infants
In adults, increased susceptibility of erythrocytes for hemolysis
under oxidative stress
• Muscle weakness and proteinuria is seen
• Oxidation of PUFA in rods leads to oxidative
• damage in retina
• Deficiency in animals:
• Muscular dystrophy and reproductive failure
•
Vitamin E is least toxic
VITAMIN K
• Vitamin K is the only fat soluble vitamin with a specific
Coenzyme function.
• It is required for the production of blood clotting factors,
essential for coagulation (in German – Koagulation; hence
the name K for this vitamin).
Vitamin K exists in different forms:
Vitamin K1 (Phylloquinone) is present in plants.
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) is produced by the intestinal
bacteria and also found in animals.
• Vitamin K3 (menadione) is the synthetic form.
 Vitamin K acts as a coenzyme for the carboxylation of glutamic
acid (to form y- carboxy glutamate) residues present in the
proteins and the reaction is catalysed by a carboxylase
(microsomal).
Sources
Deficiency
• Vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) is a bleeding problem that occurs in
some newborns during the first few days of life. It was previously called
hemorrhagic disease of the newborn.
• The signs and symptoms associated with vitamin K deficiency may
include:
• Easy bruising
• Oozing from nose or gums
• Excessive bleeding from wounds, punctures, and injection or surgical sites
• Heavy menstrual periods
• Bleeding from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
• Blood in the urine and/or stool
• Increased prothrombin time (PT)