Folic acid is a term used to refer to the oxidized form of vitamin B9 found in fortified foods and in supplements. Folate is a term used to refer to the naturally produced form of it.

DATS (Digestion, Absorption, Transportation And Storage) Of Vitamin B9

DATS (DIGESTION, ABSORPTION, TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE) OF VITAMIN-B9 folic acid

Sources:

The best plant sources of vitamins are leafy green vegetables as spinach, turnip greens, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, dry beans, peas, potatoes, bread etc. animal sources of this vitamin include milk, liver, meat etc.

RDA (recommended dietary allowances):

The recommended dietary allowances are different for the individuals of different age groups. RDA for males, females and children are:

Gender

RDA

Men

400 micro gram

Women

400 micro gram

Children

150-200 micro gram

 

Functions of vitamin B9 in Human body:

Vitamin B12 performs many important roles in human body these are:

  • DNA and RNA synthesis.
  • Amino acid synthesis.
  • New red blood cell formation.
  • Purine and pyrimidine synthesis.
  • Helps in the development of brain, spinal cord and skeleton in fetus.
  • Reduces neural tube defects.
  • Enhance immune and nervous function.

 

DATS (digestion, absorption, transportation and storage) of vitamin B9:

 Before the polyglutamate of folic acid in food is to be absorbed it must need to be converted into monoglutamate. The hydrolysis and conjugases of polyglutamate occurs with the help of atleast two foly poly glutamyl carboxy peptidases. These compounds are present in the pancreatic juice bile and the brush broader of the jejinal intestinal mucosal cells. These are zn dependent enzymes. These conjugases converts polyglutamate to monoglutamate stepwise.

Polyglutamate                                                                         Monoglutamate

This reduced form of folate is tan absorbed into the intestinal cells. Absorption occurs throughout the small intestine but majorly in the jejunum. Absorption also occurs through diffusion. Especially in case of folic acid absorption occurs throughout the small intestine through diffusion. This is because it is already present in its reduced form i.e. monoglutamate.

For the transportation of folic acid and folate transporters are present in the intestinal mucosal cells and in the blood streams. These transporters are called folate binding receptors and folate receptors. One of these receptors are in the proximal part of small intestine which are saturated, dependent on energy, PH and Na+. the other receptors are RFT (reduced folate transporter) which are present in white blood cells and other tissues. These transporters bind folate and transport it towards liver other tissues according to the requirement.

The circulatory form of folate tetrahydrofolate. That is why folate are immediately converted to tetrahydrofolate by a stepwise reaction with the help of reductase enzyme. This tetrahydrofolate can than bind to the receptor. Through one carbon metabolism this tetrahydrofolate are than utilizes in many reactions.


          Folate converts to dihydro folate and dihydro folate tan convert to tetrahydro folate.

The total body levels range from 11-28 mg. about this most of it are stored in liver. Folate is also present in both cytoplasm and mitochondria. Here it act as a co enzyme by accepting and donating one carbon group. The storage form of folate is polyglutamate and 5- methyl tetrahydrofolate.

Interaction with other nutrients:

A synergistic relationship found between vitamin B12 and folate. Without Vitamin B12 folate cannot donate its methyl group to other molecules and thus a methyl folate trap occurs.

Megaloblastic anemia and pernicious anemia (disease caused by Vitamin B9 deficiency):

Deficiency of folic acid leads to macrocytic anemia and pernicious anemia. Abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, sore tongue are the earlier sign and symptoms of vitamin B9 deficiency. In pernicious and megaloblastic anemia red blood are large in size than its normal size and are less in number.

Chemistry of Vitamin B9 in human body:

THF (tetra hydro folate) acts as a coenzyme in human body in both mitochondria and cytoplasm. Here it accepts a carbon group produced by the metabolism of amino acid. The resulting THF than donates this carbon to another compound for the formation of different substances like purines, pyrimidines etc.

The accepting carbon group is attached to the N atom at position 5, 10 or both.

One Carbon Metabolism:

 


                                             THF


Donors                                                                                Acceptor


(Serine                                                                      ( DNA, Purine, Methionine synthesis occurs)

Glysine

Histidine)                                                                                    

                                            THF

                                Accept methyl, methylene and formyl

 

Histidine Metabolism:

Histidine requires THF for its metabolism. Histidine after a series of reaction converts into formyl. Formyl glutamate by the action of formylglutamate transferase converts into glutamate. This formyl group realeases by the formyl glutamate is accepted by THF and it is converted to 5formino tetrahydrofolate.

THF               formyl glutamate donates formyl                      5 formino THF

This 5 formino THF are than used for purine synthesis.

in this through one carbon metabolism many compounds are formed in human body.