Vitamins Flashcards
what do vitamins do ruminants usually not require in supplementation?
vitamin B and K
what is vitamin A?
anything that can be converted to retinol or that retonol can be converted to
what are the 3 physiological functions of vitamin A?
- vision
- cell proliferation and differentiation
- gene transcription
what are the 5 symptoms of vitamin A deficiency?
- night blindness leading to full blindness
- abnormal bone growth
- rough hair coat
- degeneration of mucus membranes
- impaired growth
what is the most likely vitamin to become toxic?
vitamin A
what are the symptoms of vitamin A toxicity? generally and then 4 specific
similar to deficiency
- skeletal malformations
- reduced growth
- conjunctivitis
- reproductive failure
what are the 2 major forms of vitamin D?
- D2, ergocalciferol
2. D3, cholecalciferol
where is vitamin D synthesized?
in the skin, when skin is exposed to UV rays
why must vitamin D be supplemented if it is synthesized in the skin?
some animals, like dogs and cats, aren’t great at synthesizing it, or they can’t synthesize at sufficient rates to meet requirements
when vitamin D is synthesized in the body, describe its metabolism in 2 steps to active form
- production of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the liver (inactive form)
- production of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D in the kidney, which is the active form, this is done in response to parathyroid hormone
what is the main function of vitamin D?
to maintain calcium homeostasis
how does vitamin D maintain calcium homeostasis? (2)
- increases efficiency oof intestinal calcium absorption
2. increases calcium mobilization from bone (bone resorption to send calcium to bloodstream and needy tissues)
what is caused by a calcium deficiency?
rickets/osteomalacia
what is rickets?
softening of the bone; main symptom is bow-leggedness
describe how vitamin D works with the diet to maintain calcium homeostasis
vitamin D increases calcium receptors on the brush border, but if there isn’t calcium in the diet, good fucking good those receptors are gonna do
is there a need to supplement vitamin D if there is good sun exposure?
nah
describe the range of vitamin D requirements acorss species
wide range depending on sunlight exposure; llamas have hella high requirements (high elevation, lots of sunlight) but the African mole rat has NO vitamin D requirement (lives underground)
what is vit E also called?
alpha-tocopherol
what is the function of vitamin E?
prevention of membrane lipids from oxidative damage, or acts as an antioxidant
describe how vitamin E being a fat soluble vitamin enables its function
since it’s fat soluble it is associated with the lipid bilayer and can work with water soluble vitamins to do its job
what are the 4 vitamin E deficency symptoms and in what species?
- muscular dystrophy in most species
- liver necrosis in swine and rats
- fetal resorption in rats
- encephalomalacia in poultry (breakdown of cell membranes as lipids are oxidized)
when found in plants what is vitamin K also called?
phylloquinone
when found in bacteria what is vitamin K also called?
menaquinone
what is the function of vitamin K?
post-translational modification of proteins (carboxylation) that is required for protein function
give two specific protein functions that vitamin K is required for?
- clotting factors
2. osteocalcin (important for bone strength)
what is the symptom of a vitamin K deficiency?
reduced blood clotting ability
what is the general funciton of B vitamins?
some function as enzyme co-factors in energy metabolism
is toxicity usually an issue with B vitamins? why or why not?
rarely an issue; B vitamins are water soluble so any excess is excreted in urine
how do ruminants usually obtain B vitamins?
their rumens synthesize B vitamins in sufficient amounts to meet requirement
describe how horses obtain B vitamins
although B vitamins are synthesized in the hindgut, horses usually receive vitamin B supplementation in their diets as well
what is vitamin B1?
thiamin
what are the 2 functions of thiamin?
- decarboxylation of ketoacids
2. transketolocation via pyruvate dehydrogenase (pull off and yield acetyl CoA)
what body function is thiamin necessary for?
DNA and RNA synthesis through transketolocation
what usually causes a thiamin deficiency?
destruction of thiamin in diet or DI tract via thiaminases