Vitamins Flashcards
What are vitamins?
-Essential organic nutrients, required in small amounts
-Essential for growth, reproduction, maintenance and lactation
Can most vitamins be made by the body?
No! must be acquired through diet
What kind of vitamins do monogastrics need that are not synthesized by the body?
A, E, K, C, B
What kind of vitamin do rumen bacteria need?
B vitamins
Where is vitamin D synthesized?
In the skin on exposure to sunlight
Which vitamins are fat soluble (stored in tissues)?
A, D, E, K
Which vitamins are water soluble (minimal or no tissue storage)?
B, C
What is IU?
International Units. Measures biological activity or effects of a substance
What is IU used to quantify?
-Vitamins
-Hormones
-Some meds
-Vaccines
Can the IU of different substances be compared to one another?
No, can only compare IU of same substances
What are examples of vitamin A?
Retinol
Retinal (idk how this is different from retinol)
Retinoic acid
What are some sources of vitamin A?
-Plants (corn, fresh forages)
-Animal products (fish oil, liver, egg yolk)
Which species can’t convert beta-carotene to active vitamin A?
Cats
Ferrets
Carnivorous reptiles
Amphibians
What are functions of vitamin A?
-Vision (light sensitivity of retina)
-Formation of epithelial tissues and mucous membranes
-Immune responses
-Maintenance, growth, repro
Do all animals require a source of vitamin A?
Absolutely they do
What are some signs of vit A deficiency?
-Loss of night vision**
-Blindness**
-Abnormal cranial bone shaping from increase in CSF pressure (can cause syncope and convulsions)
-Atrophy of secretory epithelial cells –> placenta degeneration (no tummy punch needed), pathological dryness of cornea and conjunctiva
What does a vit A deficiency look like in adult pigs?
Rough dry coat with shaggy appearance
What does vit A deficiency look like in a horse?
Dry scaly hooves with vertical cracks
What does vit A deficiency look like in growing pigs?
Incoordination followed by posterior paralysis, dry cornea, blindness, poor litters, dry skin
What does vit A deficiency look like in cattle?
Rough hair coat, swollen legs, slow calf growth, infertility, reproductive disorders, blindness
Do animals usually respond well to treatment for vit A deficiency?
Yes, except if it was a chronic deficiency. Then it might be irreversible
Will cattle with blindness from a vit A deficiency respond to treatment?
No :(
What can long term ingestion of vit A lead to?
Toxicity, as it is not readily excreted
What are the 2 forms of pro-vitamin D?
-Ergocalciferol (D2)
-Cholecalciferol (D3)
Where is ergocalciferol (D2) usually found?
-Fungi
-Converted vitamin D2 in sun-dried forages
Where is cholecalciferol (D3) usually found?
-In animal products (fish, cod liver oil, egg yolk
-Formed from precursor in the skin
Which species does not obtain vitamin D with exposure to sunlight?
Cats
Which organs are involved in vit D conversion?
Liver and kidneys
What is vit D necessary for?
Proper calcium absorption
Which hormone has a role in low blood calcium reaction?
Parathyroid hormone
What are signs of vit D deficiency in all young animals?
Rickets
What are signs of vit D deficiency in young cattle?
-Swollen knees and hocks
-Arching of the back
What are signs of vit D deficiency in pigs?
-Enlarged joints
-Broken bones
-Joint stiffness
-Possible paralysis
-Poor growth
What are signs of vit D deficiency in poultry?
-Bones/beak soft and rubbery
-Poor growth
-Reduced egg production and poor eggshell quality
What can vit D toxicity cause?
-Abnormal calcium deposition in soft tissues
-Brittle bones
-Loss of kidney function due to severe calcification of renal tubules (aka death)
In what kind of animals is it uncommon for toxic concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins?
Livestock
What are sources of vitamin E?
-Cereal grains
-Protein concentrates
-Oilseeds
-Fresh forages
What is utilization of vitamin E dependent on?**
adequate selenium (glutathione peroxidase)
Why are animal products a poor source of vitamin E?
Its not stored in the animal body in large amounts
What are the functions of vit E?
-Cofactor with selenium in glutathione peroxidase (gets rid of free radicals and prevents breakdown of cell membranes)*
-IgG production*
-Erythrocyte integrity
-Prevention of oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids (oxidative rancidity)
Which 3 cycles are linked?
Vitamin E cycle
Vitamin C cycle
Selenium cycle
Which cycle converts reactive oxygen species to stabilized oxygen species?
Vitamin E cycle
Which cycle produces/uses thioredoxin reductase? (I dont understand the diagram)
Selenium cycle
What are 2 conditions from vit E deficiency in cattle/sheep?
-Nutritional muscular dystrophy (myopathy)
-White muscle disease (calves) or stiff lamb disease***
What are the acute/subacute clinical signs of nutritional muscular dystrophy?
Acute: Generalized weakness, collapse
Subacute: Stiffness in walking, prolonged recumbency, inability to stand
What is a condition in foals with a vit E deficiency?
Muscular dystrophy
-Most common first week of life
-Failure to suckle, recumbency, difficulty rising, unsteadiness and trembling when forced to stand
What is a condition in adult horses with a vit E deficiency?
Muscular dystrophy
-Stiff gait, myoglobinuria, depression, inability to eat, holding head low, edema of head and neck
What is a condition in pigs with a vit E deficiency?
Mulberry heart disease
-Usually found dead without premonitory signs (mottled appearance of heart tissue)
-If alive, severe dyspnea, cyanosis, recumbency, forced walking can cause immediate death
What is a condition in poultry with a vit E deficiency?***
Crazy chicken disease
-Encephalomalacia and exudative diathesis (SQ edema) in birds 1-5 wks old
-Muscular dystrophy more common in older birds
What is the adequate to toxic range for selenium?
0.2-0.3ppm added to diets, max tolerable is 2-5ppm. going to 4-5ppm can inhibit growth (just know its a very narrow range)
What are signs of selenium toxicity?
-Lameness
-Emaciation
-Loss of hair
What are sources of vitamin K?
-Green leafy forages
-Soybeans
-Fish meal
-Liver
-Rumen and intestinal bacterial synthesis
-Synthetic compounds
What is the function of vit K?
Blood clotting - synthesis of prothrombin in the liver and requires calcium!!
What are signs of a vit K deficiency?
-Clotting is delayed or does not occur**
-Serious hemorrhages or bruises from slight wounds
What species is a vit K deficiency most common in?
Poultry
What are symptoms of a vit K deficiency in chicks?
-Anemia
-Delayed clotting
-Easily injured
-May bleed to death
What is sweet clover disease in cattle?***
Fungi in moldy sweet clover (hay or silage) converts coumarin to dicoumarol. Dicoumarol is an anticoagulant and a competitive inhibitor of vitamin K epoxide reductase, causing a depletion of active vit K
What is the derivative of dicoumarol?
Warfarin
What is another name for vitamin C?**
L-ascorbic acid
What are sources of vitamin C?
-Citrus fruits
-Leafy green veggies
Which species do not synthesize vitamin C from glucose?**
Guinea pigs, primates
Is vitamin C synthetic?
Yes
What are the functions of vitamin C?
-Oxidation-reduction reactions in cells
-Required for normal collagen synthesis and metabolism
-Involved in transfer of iron from transferrin to ferritin
-Anti-oxidant
Is a vit C deficiency common in livestock and companion animals?
Nope
Where are B vitamins widely available from?
Plant and animal sources
What is vitamin B mainly involved in?***
Metabolism
Which B vitamins are coenzymes involved in energy metabolism?
-Thiamin (B1)
-Riboflavin (B2)
-Niacin/Nicotinamide (B3)
-Pantothenic acid (B5)
-Pyridoxine (B6)
-Biotin (B7)
Which B vitamins are coenzymes involved in cell maintenance and growth and/or blood cell synthesis?
-Folic acid
-Cyanocobalamin (B12)
-Choline
*I don’t know if choline is a B vitamin or not. Miss google says she isn’t but the slides say she is?
Which B vitamin is the only one NOT stored in tissues? Where is it stored?***
Cyanocobalamin. Stored in liver
Which species can synthesize all B vitamins?
Ruminants and horses
Which species must have B vitamins supplemented in diet?
All monogastrics
Are vitamin B deficiencies common?
No
What are sources of Thiamine (B1)?
-Cereal grains
-Beans
-Brewer’s yeast
-Egg yolk
-Liver
-Kidney
-Beef and pork muscle
What is the function of thiamine (B1)?
Coenzyme involved in oxidative dephosphorylation of pyruvate to acteyl CoA, and of alpha-ketoglutarate to succinyl CoA
What are signs of a thiamine deficiency (B1)?
-Loss of appetite
-Emaciation
-Muscular weakness
-Progressive dysfunction of nervous system
Why is raw fish dangerous to cats? ***
It contains large amounts of thiaminase, an enzyme that destroys thiamine very rapidly. Thiaminase can be destroyed by cooking
What is produced in the rumen and how can it lead to a thiamine deficiency? ***
Bacterial thiaminases are produced. This destroys the vitamin and causes cerebrocortical necrosis (CCN) or polioencephalomalacia (PEM)
**Know that it causes polio!!
What are signs of PEM/CCN in cattle?
-Circling movements
-Head pressing
-Blindness
-Muscular tremors
How can excessive sulfur in a diet lead to a thiamine deficiency?
Sulfur binds thiamine so it cannot be used
What is the general function of Riboflavin (B2)?***
Metabolism!
What are signs of riboflavin (B2) deficiency in chicks?
-Slow growth
-curled toe paralysis***
What is nicotinamide (B3) the amide derivative of?
Nicotinic acid
How does nicotinamide (B3) form?
Forms with functions in the body***
What are the functions of Nicotinamide (B3)?**
-Chemical rxns involving H transport
-Constituent of the coenzymes NAD and NADP
What is a nicotinamide (B3) deficiency called?***
Pellagra
What is the general function of Pantothenic acid (B5)?
Energy metabolism
What are signs of pantothenic acid (B5) deficiency in pigs?
-Goose-stepping***
-Poor growth
-Diarrhea
-Hair loss
-Scaling skin
Why is a Pyridoxine (B6) deficiency unlikely?
Vitamin is widely distributed in feedstuffs
What is the primary function of biotin (B7)?
Coenzyme for enzymes involved in transfer of CO2 from one substrate to another
What can supplementing biotin help with in cattle and horses?***
Improving hoof structure and strength (but little scientific evidence)
Why is raw egg white not great to feed animals?***
It contains avidin, a biotin-binding protein that makes biotin unavailable
Should u care about folic acid?
Nope forget u ever learned it
What is the general function of cyanocobalamin (B12)?***
Energy metabolism
What is the most common sign of a cyanocobalamin (B12) deficiency?
Severely stunted growth
What does a cyanocobalamin deficiency look like in cats?
-Weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting
-Common in cats with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI)
-Will have trouble digesting fats**
What is a cyanocobalamin deficiency associated with?
Disorders that interfere with absorption of nutrients
What can choline be synthesized from and in what organ?
Synthesized from methionine in the liver
What are the functions of choline?
-Structural integrity and signalling roles for cell membranes
-Component of acetylcholine (needed for nerve impulses)
-Donor of methyl groups in transmethylation reactions involving folic acid or B12
What does a choline deficiency look like in chicks?
Perosis (slipped tendon, chondrodystrophy in gastroc tendon)
What is perosis?
Stunted growth of long bones, widening of tibiometatarsal joint, twisting or bending of distal end of tibia and proximal end of metatarsus, and slipping of the gastroc muscle tendon from its condyles
