COURSE TITLE: BIOCHEMISTRY 1
COURSE CODE: BCHT 201
PLACEMENT/YEAR/LEVEL: 2nd Year/Level 4, 1st Semester
M.F.Ullah, Ph.D
Showket H.Bhat, PhD

Fat soluble vitamins
◦ Found in the fats and oils of food.
◦ Absorbed into the lymph and carried in blood with
protein transporters = chylomicrons.
◦ *Stored in liver and body fat and can become toxic
if large amounts are consumed.
vitamin - A
Vitamin – D
Vitamin – E
Vitamin - K



Vitamin - A (precursor – beta carotene)
The chemical name of Vitamin A is Retinol.
It is also called as Anti-xeropthalmic Vitamin
◦ Present in 3 forms: retinol (stored in liver), retinal, retinoic
acid
◦ Roles in body:
 Regulation of gene expression
 Part of the visual pigment rhodopsin, maintains clarity of cornea
(yes eating carrots is good for your eyesight)
 Required for cell growth and division - epithelial cells, bones
and teeth
 Promotes development of immune cells, especially “Natural
Killer Cells”
 Antioxidant


Sources - It is readily available in foods of Liver, eggs, butter, whole
milk, fish, meat, oils extracted from fishes such as cod liver oil and
shark liver oil.
In plants vitamin ‘A’ is present in the form of a carotene (provitamin A). In green leafy vegetable (Spinach amaranth etc.,) other
vegetable like carrots, tomato, pumpkin, fruits like papaya and
mango and its converted into vitamin ‘A’ in our body.


Deficiency of vitamin A:
Deficiency leads to a variety of
disorders of the eyes and this affect the vision, some of the
disorders are –
1)Night blindness: The person cannot see the objects in dim light
and in nights.
2)Xeropthalmia (or) Dry eyes: The lacrimal
glands in the eyes do to produce tears.
The conjunctiva (or) the outer most layer of the eye becomes dry




3)The cornea becomes soft and burst open. This leads to the loss of
vision and permanent blindness - the major cause of blindness in
children.
4)Skin become scaly, rough and is covered with papillae (Small
eruptions). The skin looks like that of a toad.
5)Reproductive functions may also be effected in vitamin ‘A’
deficiency.
Vitamin ‘D’
The chemical name of vitamin ‘D’ is Calciferol



Vitamin D precursor is cholesterol. Vitamin D is synthesized from
cholesterol by UV from sunlight exposure on skin , therefore is a
“non-essential” vitamin.
◦ Roles:
 Increases calcium absorption in bone, intestines, kidney.
Promotes bone growth and maintenance.
 Stimulates maturation of cells – heart, brain, immune system,
etc.
Sources: The rich source of Vitamin ‘D’ is sun light and sun light has the
capacity to convert cholesterol in our body into Vitamin ‘D’. Vitamin ‘D’ is
also present in foods of animal origin such as liver, egg yolk, butter, oils
extracted from the livers of fishes such as cod or shark.
Deficiency of vitamin ‘D’ leads to bone deformities such as Rickets. (bent
bones and knock knees)
Bowed legs –
Characteristic
of rickets
Beaded ribs –
Characteristi
c of rickets
VITAMIN E
Vitamin E is also called as Tocoferol or Anti-sterility Vitamin.
◦ Roles:
 Antioxidant (protects polyunsaturated fats)
 Prevention of damage to lungs, RBCs, WBCs (immunity), heart
 vitamin E is required for the normal functioning of
sex organs.

Sources: It is present in fruits, vegetables, germinating seeds, meat, egg
yolk, sunflower oil, cotton seed oil etc


Deficiency disorders: Deficiency leads to sterility in males and abortions in
females and also reduces the life span or R.B.C.
VITAMIN K
Vitamin K is also called as coagulation vitamin

Vitamin K – produced by bacteria in large intestine
◦ Roles
 Promotes synthesis of blood clotting proteins and therefore
essentially required for blood clotting
 Bone formation
◦ Deficiencies are rare but seen in infants, after prolonged antibiotic
therapy, and in patients with decreased bile production.
Deficiency disorders: deficiency results in long time for the
blood to clot and loss of more blood from injuries

Sources: It is present in green leafy vegetables and in cow milk, in
humans vitamin K is synthesized by the bacteria present in the
intestines.
DRI stands for “Dietary Reference Intakes” which refers
to the recommended amount of a nutrient that needs to
be consumed by an individual.
DRI varies according to age, sex and conditions such
as pregnancy.
Vitamins : An Overview
FAT SOLUBLE
VITAMIN A
•vital to good vision
•prevents night blindness
•severe deficiency causes blindness
•necessary for healthy skin, hair growth
•keeps mucous membranes healthy
VITAMIN D
•found in foods and obtained from the sun
•helps bones use the mineral calcium to build strong
bones
•prevents rickets
VITAMIN E
•helps breakdown polyunsaturated fats
•antioxidant, protecting blood cell membranes from
overexposure to oxygen
VITAMIN K
•essential for clotting of blood
•found in foods and manufactured by Vitamin K
producing bacteria in the small intestines
WATER SOLUBLE
•most famous vitamin (also called ascorbic acid)
•helps form collagen or body cement
•helps in growth and repair of body tissue and blood vessels
•prevents scurvy
•can be decreased by cigarette smoking, stressful injuries and oral
contraceptives
•excessive doses can cause kidney stones and break down red
blood cells
VITAMIN B COMPLEX
B1 - Thiamine
•energy metabolism, nerve function, & muscle control
VITAMIN C
B2 - Riboflavin
Niacin
•involved in use of fat, protein and carbohydrates
•energy metabolism, maintain healthy nervous system and skin
B6
B12
•normal immune and nervous system
•producing antibodies, helps folacin function, maintenance of nerve
tissue
•synthesize DNA
•cell division
Folacin



Vitamins are very sensitive to heat. Over
cooking leads to destruction of its chemical
nature.
Excess intake of antibiotics, destroy useful
bacteria in our intestine, further leads to
vitamin B 12 and vitamin K deficiency.
Consuming highly polished rice, leads to
vitamin B1 deficiency.