INTRODUCTION :
Deficiency of Vit B12 and Folic acid (Maturation factors), which are B group vitamins, results in megaloblastic anaemia characterized by the presence of large red cell precursors in bone marrow and their large and shortlived progeny in peripheral blood.
Vitamin B12 and folic acid are therefore called Maturation factors. The basic defect is in DNA synthesis.
VITAMIN B12 –
Cyanocobalamin and hydroxocobalamin are complex cobalt containing compounds present in the diet and referred to as Vit B12.
Fruits/vegetables contains vitamin B12 =
Daily requirement= 1-3 ug,
Pregnancy and Lactation= 3-5 ug.
Use =
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) is the coenzyme that affects the cellular metabolism and works together with the vitamin B9 folate to synthesize nucleic acids, helps to maintain healthy blood cells, maintains the nervous system, and helps prevent types of anemia.
What happens if I don’t get enough vitamin B12 ?
- Vitamin B12 deficiency causes tiredness, weakness, constipation, loss of appetite, weight loss, and megaloblastic anemia. Nerve problems, such as numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, can also occur.
- Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include problems with balance, depression, confusion, Dementia, poor memory, and soreness of the mouth or tongue.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency can damage the nervous system even in people who don’t have anemia.
- In infants, signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency include failure to thrive, problems with movement, delays in reaching the typical developmental milestones.
Drugs =
- Cyanocobalamin – is a man-made form of vitamin B12 which is important for growth, cell reproduction, blood formation, and protein and tissue synthesis.
Cyanocobalamin is used to treat Vitamin B12 deficiency in people with pernicious anemia and other conditions.
- Nascobal (for use in the nose) is used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency in people with pernicious anemia and other conditions.
Nascobal is usually given after treatment with an injection form of Nascobal.
- Hydroxocobalamin is a man-made injectable form of vitamin B12 used to treat low levels (deficiency) of this vitamin.
FOLIC ACID –
It occurs as yellow crystals which are insoluble in water, but its sodium salt is freely water soluble.
Chemically it is Pteroyl glutamic acid (PGA); consisting of pteridine + para aminobenzoic acid (PABA) + glutamic acid.
Dietary sources; Liver, green leafy vegetables (spinach), egg, meat, milk.
Daily requirement; of an adult is < 0.1 mg but dietary allowance of 0.2 mg/day. During pregnancy, lactation or any condition of high metabolic activity, 0.8 mg/day is considered appropriate.
Folic acid normally found in foods such as dried beans, peas, lentils, oranges, whole-wheat products, liver, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach.
Folic acid helps your body produce and maintain new cells, and also helps prevent changes to DNA that may lead to cancer.
As a medication, folic acid is used to treat folic acid deficiency and certain types of anemia (lack of red blood cells) caused by folic acid deficiency.
- However, it will not treat Vitamin B12 deficiency and will not prevent possible damage to the spinal cord.
Preparations and dose Folic acid=
- FOLVITE, FOLITAB 5 mg tab; Liquid oral preparations and injectables are available only in combination formulation.
- Oral therapy is adequate except when malabsorption is present or in severely ill patient-given i.m.
- Dose: Therapeutic 2 to 5 mg/day, prophylactic 0.5 mg/day.
- Folinic acid;
CALCIUM LEUCOVORIN inj.
FASTOVORIN
LEUCOVORIN
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