Folic acid (also known as vitamin B or folacin) and folate (the naturally occurring form), as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid andpteroyl-L-glutamate, are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9. Folic acid is itself not biologically active, but its biological importance is due totetrahydrofolate and other derivatives after its conversion to dihydrofolic acidin the liver.
Vitamin B9 (folic acid and folate inclusive) is essential to numerous bodily functions ranging from nucleotide biosynthesis to the remethylation of homocysteine. The human body needs folate to synthesize DNA, repair DNA, and methylate DNA as well as to act as a cofactor in biological reactions involving folate. It is especially important during periods of rapidcell division and growth. Children and adults both require folic acid in order to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anemia. Folate and folic acid derive their names from the Latin word folium (which means "leaf"). Leafy vegetables are a principal source, although, in Western diets, fortified cereals and bread may be a larger dietary source.
A lack of dietary folic acid leads to folate deficiency (FD). This can result in many health problems, the most notable one being neural tube defects in developing embryos. Low levels of folate can also lead to homocysteine accumulation as a result of the impairment of one-carbon metabolism mechanism methylation. DNA synthesis and repair are impaired and this could lead to cancer development. Supplementation in patients withischaemic heart disease may, however, lead to increased rates of cancer and all-cause mortality.A 2003 opinion article in the New York Times[ named micronutrients, especially folic acid, the "world's most luscious food," since absence of folic acid and a handful of other micronutrients causes otherwise-preventable deformities and diseases, especially in fetal development. Adding folic acid and micronutrients to the food supply of developing countries would have a greater impact than any other single action in improving world health
| Identifiers | |
|---|---|
| CAS number | 59-30-3  |
| PubChem | 6037 |
| RTECS number | LP5425000 |
| ATC code | B03 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C19H19N7O6 |
| Molar mass | 441.4 g mol−1 |
| Appearance | yellow-orange crystalline powder |
| Melting point | 250 °C (523 K), decomp. |
| Solubility in water | 0.0016 mg/ml (25 °C) |
| Acidity (pKa) | 1st: 2.3, 2nd: 8.3 |
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