Folic Acid

( Vitamin B9)

DR HUSSAIN ZAKI
 Chemistry
• The word folic acid is derived from latin word Folium means
leaf .
• Folic acid mainly consists of three components
• Pteridine ring
• PABA (p-amino benzoic acid)
• Glutamic acid residue (1 to 7 residues)
• Hence it is known as Pteroyl-glutamic acid
• Most of the dietary folic acid exists as polyglutamate
Absorbtion
with 3-7 glutamate residues
• It is not absorbed in the intestine
• The glutamate side chains are cleaved by the enzyme
folate conjugase
• Only monoglutamyl form of folic acid is absorbed
from the intestine
• Folate conjugase - present in duodenum and jejunum

• Mucosal uptake and metabloism of folate

monoglutamate

• Folate monoglutamate is reduced to THF & methylated to

form N5-methyl tetrahydrofolate (enters circulation)
 Storage

• Inside the cells, tetrahydrofolates are found as
polyglumates (storage form)

• Which are biologically most potent

• It is mainly stored in the liver (10-20 mg)

 Sources
> Rich sources are green
leafy vegetables such as
spinach, cauliflower

> Also wheat , grains ,

liver, kidney etc
chemistry
 Function
• THF -> One carbon metabolism
THF <- - - - - - - - - - Acceptor

• DNA synthesis
• Purine synthesis
• Amino acid synthesis
• Homocysteine to methionine synthesis

Donor
Methyl THF

• Serine • methionine- THF

• Formyl - THF
• glycine
• histidine
 RDA
• Men 100 µg/day
• Women 100 µg/day
• Pregnancy 400 µg/day
• Lactation 150 µg/day
 Deficiency
Inadequate serum levels of folate can be
caused by

• Increased demand (for example, pregnancy and lactation)

• Poor absorption caused by pathology of the small intestine

• Alcoholism

• Treatment with drugs that are dihydrofolate reductase

inhibitors
Megaloblastic anemia
- A primary result of folic acid deficiency is
megaloblastic anemia
- caused by diminished synthesis of purines and
TMP
- leads to an inability of cells (including RBC
precursors) to make DNA and, therefore, an inability
to divide
 Folic acid and NTDs
• Spina bifida and anencephaly - the most common neural tube defects
(NTDs)
• Affect approximately 3,000 pregnancies in the United States annually
• Folic acid supplementation before conception and during the first
trimester has been shown to significantly reduce NTDs
• women of childbearing age - advised to take 0.4mg/day
• 10x of this amount - for those whose pregnancies were previously
affected
 Summary
Vitamin : Folic acid
Active form : THF
Function : Transfer of one carbon units
synthesis of purines, methionine and TMP
Deficiency : Megaloblastic anemia and NTDs
Toxicity : None
Notes : administration of high levels of folic acid can
mask the vitamin B12 deficiency.
Any Questions ?
THANK YOU !