Folic acid
•VITAMIN B
9 (FOLIC ACID
AND FOLATE) IS
ESSENTIAL FOR
NUMEROUS BODILY
FUNCTIONS
•OUR BODY CANNOT
SYNTHESIZE FOLATE
5
Folic acid
THE HUMAN BODY NEEDS
FOLATE
TO
SYNTHESIZE
•DNA
• REPAIR DNA
•METHYLATION OF DNA
• ACT AS A COFACTOR IN
CERTAIN BIOLOGICAL
REACTIONS
6
Folic acid
•IMPORTANT IN
AIDING RAPID CELL DIVISION
GROWTH
SUCH AS IN
FETUS
INFANCY
PREGNANCY
Cancer 7
•CHILDREN AND ADULTS BOTH
REQUIRE FOLIC ACID TO
PRODUCE
•HEALTHY RED BLOOD CELLS
AND
• PREVENT ANEMIA
8
9
10
11
Folic acid
TETRA HYDRO FOLATE
(REDUCED FOLATE)
RECEIVES
ONE-CARBON FRAGMENTS
FROM
SERINE
GLYCINE
AND
HISTIDINE
12
13
Folic acid
AND TRANSFERS THEM TO
•INTERMEDIATES IN THE SYNTHESIS
OF
AMINO ACIDS, PURINES,
AND THYMIDINE MONO
PHOSPHATE (TMP)—A
PYRIMIDINE FOUND IN DNA
14
15
Folic acid
•A lack of dietary folates leads
to folate deficiency,
•A complete lack of dietary
folate takes A WEEK before
deficiency develops
•It Is Stored In Our Blood
Plasma, Our Red Blood Cells,
And Liver.
16
Folic acid
•This deficiency can result in
many health problems
MOST NOTABLE ONE BEING
NEURAL TUBE BIRTH
DEFECTS IN DEVELOPING
EMBRYOS
FIGLU TEST
•Test for folate deficiency
•In the metabolism of
HISTIDINE, there is folic
acid dependent conversion of
formimino-glutamic acid
(FIGLU)
to glutamic acid
29
FIGLU TEST
• In folate deficiency FIGLU
accumulates in the blood and
excreted in urine
•FIGLU excretion in urine
….index of folate deficiency
•HISTIDINE loading test
30
Folate deficiency and anemia
31
Folate deficiency and anemia
Inadequate serum levels
Increased Demand For
Example, Pregnancy And
Lactation
Poor Absorption Caused By
Pathology Of The Small
Intestine, Alcoholism. 32
Folate deficiency and anemia
Treatment With Drugs That
Are Dihydrofolate Reductase
Inhibitors, For Example,
Methotrexate
Trimethoprim
Pyremethamine
A Primary Result Of Folic
Acid Deficiency
Megaloblastic Anemia
33
Folate deficiency and anemia
Affects
Cells That Are Dividing
Rapidly
They Have A Large
Requirement For
Thymidine For DNA
Synthesis
34
Folate deficiency and anemia
This Affects
Bone Marrow
Leading To
Megaloblastic Anemia
35
Folate deficiency and anemia
Inability Of Cells
(Including Red Cell
Precursors)
To Make DNA
And, Therefore,
They Cannot Divide
36
37
38
FOLATE AND NEURAL TUBE
DEFECTS IN THE FETUS
•Spina Bifida
And
•Anencephaly
The Most Common Neural
Tube Defects
39
FOLATE AND NEURAL TUBE
DEFECTS IN THE FETUS
•Adequate Folate Nutrition Must
Occur At The Time Of Conception
•Critical Folate-dependent
Development Occurs In The
First Weeks Of Fetal Life
•A Time When Many Women Are Not
Yet Aware Of Their Pregnancy
40
Folate and neural tube defects in the
fetus
•Folic Acid Supplementation Before
Conception And During The First Trimester
Has Been Shown To Significantly Reduce The
Defects.
•Therefore, All Women Of Childbearing Age
Are Advised To Consume
•0.4 Mg/Day Of Folic Acid
To Reduce The Risk Of Having A Pregnancy
Affected By Neural Tube Defects. 41
42
43
44
45
46
47
Inhibitors of Folate
Metabolism Provide Cancer
Chemotherapy, Antibacterial,
& Antimalarial Drugs
48