FOLIC ACID

USDailyMed:Folic acid AU:A B03BB01(WHO)V04CX02(WHO)B03AE02(WHO)B03AE01(WHO)B03BB51(WHO) AU:S4(Prescription only) / S2US:℞-only/ OTC (2S)-2-[[4-[(2-Amino-4-oxo-1H-pteridin-6-yl)methylamino]benzoyl]amino]pentanedioic acid 59-30-3as salt:6484-89-5 6037 4563 DB00158as salt:DBSALT001918 5815as salt:21512 935E97BOY8as salt:9P9W8GGU78 D00070as salt:D07985 CHEBI:27470 ChEMBL1622 FOL (PDBe,RCSB PDB) DTXSID0022519 Interactive image n1c2C(=O)NC(N)=Nc2ncc1CNc3ccc(cc3)C(=O)N[C@H](C(O)=O)CCC(O)=O InChI=1S/C19H19N7O6/c20-19-25-15-14(17(30)26-19)23-11(8-22-15)7-21-10-3-1-9(2-4-10)16(29)24-12(18(31)32)5-6-13(27)28/h1-4,8,12,21H,5-7H2,(H,24,29)(H,27,28)(H,31,32)(H3,20,22,25,26,30)/t12-/m0/s1Key:OVBPIULPVIDEAO-LBPRGKRZSA-N Folate, also known asvitamin B9andfolacin,is one of theB vitamins.Folate is required for the body to makeDNAandRNAand metaboliseamino acidsnecessary forcell divisionand maturation ofblood cells.As the human body cannot make folate, it is required in the diet, making it anessential nutrient.It occurs naturally in many foods.The recommended adult daily intake of folate in the U.S. is 400microgramsfrom foods ordietary supplements.Manufacturedfolic acid, which is converted into folate by the body, is used as adietary supplementand infood fortificationas it is more stable during processing and storage. Folate in the form of folic acid is used to treatanemiacaused byfolate deficiency.Folic acid is also used as a supplement by women duringpregnancyto reduce the risk ofneural tube defects(NTDs) in the baby.NTDs includeanencephalyandspina bifida, among other defects. Low levels in earlypregnancyare believed to be the cause of more than half of babies born with NTDs.More than 80 countries use either mandatory or voluntary fortification of certain foods with folic acid as a measure to decrease the rate of NTDs.Long-term supplementation with relatively large amounts of folic acid is associated with a small reduction in the risk ofstrokeand, for "relatively large amount" meaning ≥ 400 μg/day, an increased risk of prostate cancer. Not consuming enough folate can lead to folate deficiency.This may result ina type of anemiain which red blood cells become abnormally large.Symptoms may includefeeling tired,heart palpitations,shortness of breath, open sores on the tongue, and changes in the color of the skin or hair.Folate deficiency in children may develop within a month of poor dietary intake.In adults, normal total body folate is between 10 and 30 mg with about half of this amount stored in the liver and the remainder in blood and body tissues.In plasma, the natural folate range is 150 to 450 nM. Folate was discovered between 1931 and 1943.It is on theWorld Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.In 2023, it was the 94th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 7million prescriptions.The term "folic" is from the Latin wordfolium(which means leaf) because it was found in dark-green leafy vegetables.