10.6 Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Pantothenic acid is a water-soluble B vitamin that has two primary roles in the body:

  • It is part of coenzyme A (CoA)
  • It is part of acyl carrier protein

Coenzyme A

The structure of pantothenic acid is shown alone below and circled within coenzyme A which we discussed in Chapter 6.

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Figure 10.61 The structure of pantothenic acid1

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Figure 10.62 The structure of coenzyme A (CoA) with the pantothenic acid circled2

The functions of CoA include3:

  • Acetyl-CoA is a central point in metabolism, and contains CoA
  • CoA is used in fatty acid oxidation. The fatty acid is activated by adding CoA, forming acyl-CoA.
  • Fatty acid synthesis uses CoA

Acyl Carrier Protein

Acyl carrier protein, is also important in fatty acid synthesis3.

Animal liver and kidney, fish, shellfish, pork, chicken, egg yolk, milk, yogurt, legumes, mushrooms, avocados, broccoli, and sweet potatoes are good sources of pantothenic acid. Whole grains are also good sources of pantothenic acid, but processing and refining grains may result in a 35 to 75% loss. Freezing and canning of foods result in similar losses5.

Most pantothenic acid in food is found as CoA, which is cleaved prior to absorption. It is then taken up into the enterocyte through the sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) as shown below. Approximately 50% of pantothenic acid is absorbed; it is excreted primarily in urine3.

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Figure 10.66 The absorption of pantothenic acid

Deficiency of pantothenic acid is very rare. Pantothenic acid supplementation did relieve the symptoms (burning feet and numbness of toes) of “burning feet syndrome” in prisoners in World War II4. It is believed pantothenic acid deficiency was the cause of this syndrome. Other symptoms noted are vomiting, fatigue, weakness, restlessness, and irritability3. No toxicity has been reported.

References & Links
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pantothenic_acid_structure.svg
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coenzym_A.svg
  • Gropper SS, Smith JL, Groff JL. (2008) Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
  • Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ, editors. (2006) Modern nutrition in health and disease. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  • Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center: Pantothenic acid. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/pantothenic-acid#sources

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