Biochemistry

-j-NH — CH — сн — сн 2 — соон соон III Folic acid Folic acid is a crystalline powder without taste and odor, insoluble in ether, acetone, chloroform, acetic acid, soluble in cold water and well soluble in hot water and dilute alcohol solutions. The crystals are stable in air, but with prolonged illumination, folic acid is destroyed. It turns into vitamerfolinic acid in the human body, the activity of which exceeds the initial one by 100 times. This process is carried out with participation of vitamins C, B 6 , B 12 . A normal state of the gastrointestinal tract is necessary to restore folic acid. The folic acid absorption worsens when there is insufficient protein in the diet. Biological role. The folic acid action is not associated with the free form, but with the reduced pteridine derivative - tetrahydrofolate acid (THPA). Being a coenzyme of a number of enzymes, it transfers monocarbon fragments during the biosynthesis of many compounds: the methyl group during the methionine biosynthesis, the oxidative group during the serine biosynthesis. Folic acid is involved in the methylation of uracil and its conversion to thymine, accelerates the incorporation of carbon into purine, which contributes to the biosynthesis of purine bases, nucleotides and nucleic acids. Folic acid deficiency. It causes severe anemia in humans. There is evidence that in case of folic acid deficiency, DNA biosynthesis is disrupted in bone marrow cells. A lack of this vitamin can also affect to the violation of the digestive system. Inflammation of the tongue, mucous membrane of the oral cavity and gastrointestinal tract are develop, the functional ability of the liver and the body's resistance to the effects of harmful factors decrease. 257