Vitamin B13

This vitamin was discovered in 1905 from the remains of distillery raw materials. It was a new growth factor, called DDS, and later renamed vitamin B13. It has a positive effect on fetal development in pregnant women, and also performs many other functions.

General information about vitamin B13

Vitamin B13 is also called orotic acid. It was derived from whey ("oros" is translated from Greek as colostrum). It is involved in the synthesis of phospholipids, nucleic acids and bilirubin.

Physicochemical properties

Orotic acid (or 4-carboxyuracil, 2,6-dioxypyrimidine-4-carboxylic acid) is a derivative of pyrimidine bases. In a free state, it is white crystals with a melting point of 345-346° C. Molecular weight is 156.1. It is insoluble in acids, but dissolves well in alkalis and hot water. It intensively absorbs ultraviolet rays and has pronounced acidic properties, easily forming salts with metals.

Metabolism

In food products, orotic acid is found in the form of slightly water-soluble compounds with minerals (magnesium, potassium, calcium salts). These organic salts from the small intestine are easily absorbed into the blood by simple diffusion. In the blood, minerals are separated, and free orotic acid is transported to the liver, other organs and tissues.

Biological functions

The close connection of orotic acid with nucleic acid metabolism explains its effect on hematopoiesis, demonstrated in pharmacological experiments. The effect of orotic acid extends to the formation of both erythrocytes and leukocytes. In particular, it transfers erythropoiesis in embryos from the megaloblastic path to normoblastic. In rabbits, rats, and guinea pigs, it increases the number of reticulocytes in peripheral blood, with a simultaneous increase in the number of mature cellular forms in the bone marrow. Stimulates erythropoiesis after blood loss. Orotic acid affects leukopoiesis when it is impaired by penetrating radiation. In this case, the increase in leukopoiesis was more significant if orotic acid was administered after irradiation. Orotic acid affects not only leukopoiesis, but also the functional state of leukocytes. Thus, orotic acid and its sodium salt increase the phagocytic capacity of leukocytes, especially their digestive activity.

Orotic acid is involved in metabolic processes occurring in proteins and phospholipids, in the transformation of folic and pantothenic acids, in the metabolism of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), and in the synthesis of the amino acid methionine. It is a precursor in the biosynthesis of pyrimidine bases, participating in the formation of pyrimidine nucleotides - uridine monophosphate and cytidine monophosphate). In addition, orotic acid is involved in the following processes:

• glucose utilization;
• ribose synthesis;
• creation and maintenance of ATP reserves;
• activation of contractile capabilities of muscle tissue;
• growth and development of cells and tissues, in particular muscle tissue (due to the synthesis of ribonucleic acid);
• creation of muscle carnosine reserves.

Orotic acid has a stimulating effect on protein metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the functional state of the liver, accelerates the regeneration of liver cells, reduces the risk of developing fatty liver, helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, and also improves myocardial contraction, has a beneficial effect on reproductive function and growth processes, which allows it to be used as a pharmacological drug (as an anabolic) for the treatment of many diseases of the liver, biliary tract, heart, blood vessels and muscles.

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Vitamin B13 Needs Every Day

The daily amount of vitamin B13 required varies depending on the person's age and condition. Adults should take up to 2 g of vitamin B13, pregnant and nursing mothers - 3 g of orotic acid, children - from 0.5 to 1.5 g depending on age, infants from 0.25 to 0.5 g.

If you are sick, the dose of vitamin B13 can be increased even more, as it is considered non-toxic.

Under what conditions does the need for vitamin B13 increase?

For people recovering from an illness, it is worth taking more vitamin B13. This is also recommended for people with high physical stress on the body.

Vitamin B13 Absorption

In order for various medications (antibiotics, steroid hormones, delagyl, resoquin, sulfonamides) to be better tolerated by the body, it is recommended to take orotic acid.

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The beneficial effects of vitamin B13 on the body

Vitamin B13 has the property of activating hematopoiesis of both erythrocytes and leukocytes. It activates protein synthesis, affects the proper functioning of the liver and improves its condition, helps to synthesize the essential amino acid methionine, promotes the metabolism of pantothenic and folic acid. Vitamin B13 has a beneficial effect on fetal development, and is also used in the treatment of the liver and heart.

Orotic acid affects cells, protein synthesis, prevents fatty liver, restores its cells and accelerates the regeneration of hepatocytes.

Orotic acid is used to treat certain skin conditions in children, it prevents anemia and may prevent premature aging.

Interaction of vitamin B13 with other elements of the body

For normal metabolism of folic acid and synthesis of pantothenic acid, the presence of vitamin B13 in the body is necessary.

Signs of Vitamin B13 Deficiency in the Body

No signs of vitamin B13 deficiency have been found, since this vitamin is normally synthesized by the human body in the required amount. Sometimes it is prescribed to children and adolescents, since at their age the consumption of the vitamin can be very high.

Signs of Vitamin B13 Overload

With an excess of orotic acid in the body, mild dermatitis may occur, which will pass immediately after the drug is discontinued. Liver dystrophy may also occur, but only with a lack of protein nutrition. Dyspeptic phenomena may sometimes occur.

Foods Rich in Vitamin B13

Of the products studied to date, the greatest amount of orotic acid is found in yeast and liver extracts, as well as in sheep's milk. The main source of orotic acid for humans is cow's milk. The average daily requirement of the body for this substance, according to most scientists, is 0.5-1.5 mg.

To get some orotic acid into your body, you can eat liver (it contains 1600-2000 mcg of vitamin B13), sheep's milk (contains up to 320 mcg), sour cream and cottage cheese. This will strengthen your body and help you maintain the necessary level of vitamin B13.

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Use of orotic acid for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes

The existing understanding of the role of orotic acid in metabolism determined the scope of its use in medicine. The participation of orotic acid in the synthesis of nucleic acids prompted its use in hematological diseases. Thus, in patients suffering from Addison-Birmer anemia, the use of the drug in doses from 3 to 6 g caused partial hematological remission. In patients with megaloblastic anemia, which developed after gastric resection, reticulocytosis appeared on the 7-14th day of treatment. Then clinical and hematological improvement was observed, which, however, was short-lived. Relapse of anemia occurred after 5-7 months. Even during remission, microcytosis and megaloblastosis remained in the bone marrow.

Orotic acid has been used to treat children with hereditary galactosemia, in which the disease is either absent or the activity of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase is greatly reduced. Orotic acid is a precursor of uridine phosphate, which is part of uridine phosphate galactose.

Favorable results have been obtained in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. In particular, potassium orotate in a dose of 1-2 g per day, used for a month, increases the concentration of serum albumins and increases the coefficient of cholesterol esterification. In an even more moderate dose (0.5 g per day for 3-4 weeks), potassium orotate has proven useful in patients with liver cirrhosis, icteric cirrhosis and secondary cholangiogenic hepatitis. Small doses of orotic acid 0.1-0.2 g per day are recommended for normalizing liver function.

Potassium orotate has been successfully used in cases of cardiac insufficiency. Clinical improvement was observed after 30-50 days of using this drug in addition to cardiac glycosides and diuretics. In patients with coronary heart disease, orotic acid, used for 22-25 days at 2-3 g per day, led to an improvement in electrocardiographic and other electrophysiological indices of the heart in those patients who had previously had changes in these indices. In the complex treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction, a combination of orotic acid at 1.5 g per day with 60 mg of folic acid and 100 mcg of vitamin B12 proved to be useful. In patients who received this combination for 2 months from the date of infarction, mortality was significantly reduced. In general, the use of orotic acid in medicine has been little studied. It is most likely that vitamin B13 will be used in all disease states where it is desirable to enhance protein and nucleic acid synthesis.