Vitamins Flashcards
Vitamin A
Fat-soluble
Not produced in the body, received from carotenoid (yellow) pigments from plants (especially beta-carotene, 1 mg = 400 internal units)
Stored in the liver
Important for:
Vision (night esp.), bone and muscle growth, reproduction, healthy skin
Vitamin B Complex
Water-soluble
Produced by microbes in the gut
Involved in biochemical reactions
Can be supplemented with brewer’s yeast
Vitamin B1
Thiamin
Nerve signal transmission, carb metabolism
Vitamin B2
Riboflavin
Energy production
Vitamin B6
Pyridoxine
Amino acid/fat metabolism, synthesis of epinephrine and norepinephrine
Produced in the gut, but absorbed in the small intestine so most comes from feed
Vitamin B12
Cobalamin
Red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, use of proprionate
Biotin
(B vitamin)
Fat metabolism and DNA replication
Folic acid
(B vitamin)
Red blood cell synthesis, DNA synthesis
Niacin
(B vitamin)
Metabolism of amino acids, carbs, and fats
(tryptophan, an amino acid, can be converted to niacin by the body)
Pantothenic Acid
(B vitamin)
Carb, fat, and proein metabolism
Vitamin C
Water soluble
Ascorbic acid, most animals (including horses) can synthesize it from glucose in the liver
Antioxidant, enhances bones and teeth, use of b vitamins/cholesterol/glucose, helps iron absorption, immune function
Vitamin D
Fat-soluble
“Sunshine Vitamin”
Synthesized in the skin when UV rays react with cholesterol
Maintains plasma calcium concentrations
Vitamin E
Fat-soluble
Alpha-tocopherol
Not produced or stored in the body, must be supplied in the feed daily
Essential antioxidant protecting cell membrane
Vitamin K
Fat-soluble
Exists in 3 forms, all are converted to hydroquinone in the liver
Not stored in the body, but produced in the body
Required for blood clotting
