Riboflavin (REY-bo-FLAY-vin), commonly known as vitamin
B2, is an orange-yellow crystalline solvent with a bitter
taste. It is relatively stable when exposed to heat, but tends
to decompose in the presence of light for extended periods of
time. Riboflavin is used in the body for a variety of functions,
including the metabolism of carbohydrates for the
production of energy and the production of red blood cells.
Riboflavin was found in 1879 by Alexander Wynter Blyth (1844-1921) who noticed a compound in cow’s milk that glowed with a yellow fluorescence
when exposed to light. Blyth called the compound
lachtochrome (lachto- = ‘‘milk’’ and -chrome = color), but was
unable to determine its chemical composition or its chemical
properties. In fact, it was not until the 1930s that the
chemical nature of the compound was determined. The
Swiss chemist Paul Karrer (1889–1971) and the Austrian-
German chemist Richard Kuhn (1900–1967) independently
determined the chemical structure of riboflavin and first
synthesized the compound. The name riboflavin is derived
from the fact that the vitamin was first found in association
with the sugar ribose.
Naturally, plants and microorganisms can synthesize riboflavin.
Some foods rich in riboflavin are brewer’s yeast, dark
green vegetables, mushrooms, legumes, nuts, milk and other
dairy products, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. Bacteria that
live in the human digestive tract are also able to synthesize
some riboflavin, but not enough to meet the body’s requirement
for the vitamin.
Riboflavin is produced synthetically using either the
genetically-modified bacterium Bacillus subtilis or a fungus
called Ashbya gossifyii. The bacteria or fungus are cultured
in a large vat that has been seeded with small amounts of
riboflavin. Over time, the organisms generate large quantities
of riboflavin until some desired amount of the compound
has been produced. The vat is then heated to a
temperature sufficient to kill the bacteria or fungi, leaving
crystalline riboflavin behind. The riboflavin is then separated
and purified.
The human body needs riboflavin to use oxygen efficiently
in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and
carbohydrates. The vitamin is involved in the synthesis of
niacin (another B vitamin), it activates vitamin B6, and it
helps the adrenal gland to produce hormones. It helps the
body make antibodies to fight disease and infection, regulates
the thyroid gland, and is important in maintaining healthy
hair, nails, and skin. Riboflavin is especially important during
periods of rapid growth because it is involved in the formation
and growth of cells, especially red blood cells.
The human body needs riboflavin to use oxygen efficiently
in the metabolism of amino acids, fatty acids, and
carbohydrates. The vitamin is involved in the synthesis of
niacin (another B vitamin), it activates vitamin B6, and it
helps the adrenal gland to produce hormones. It helps the
body make antibodies to fight disease and infection, regulates
the thyroid gland, and is important in maintaining healthy
hair, nails, and skin. Riboflavin is especially important during
periods of rapid growth because it is involved in the formation
and growth of cells, especially red blood cells.
most likely to suffer from riboflavin deficiency problems are
those with anorexia (a condition in which people refuse to
eat adequate amounts of food), older people with poor diets,
alcoholics (because alcohol impairs a person’s ability to
absorb and use the vitamin), and newborn babies being treated
for jaundice by exposure to ultraviolet light (because
light destroys riboflavin).
