Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has been known as an antioxidant for most people. However, its physiological role is much larger and encompasses very different processes ranging from facilitation of iron absorption through involvement in hormones and carnitine synthesis for important roles in epigenetic...
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Nutrients |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/615 |
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| author | Martin Doseděl Eduard Jirkovský Kateřina Macáková Lenka Kujovská Krčmová Lenka Javorská Jana Pourová Laura Mercolini Fernando Remião Lucie Nováková Přemysl Mladěnka on behalf of The OEMONOM |
| author_facet | Martin Doseděl Eduard Jirkovský Kateřina Macáková Lenka Kujovská Krčmová Lenka Javorská Jana Pourová Laura Mercolini Fernando Remião Lucie Nováková Přemysl Mladěnka on behalf of The OEMONOM |
| author_sort | Martin Doseděl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has been known as an antioxidant for most people. However, its physiological role is much larger and encompasses very different processes ranging from facilitation of iron absorption through involvement in hormones and carnitine synthesis for important roles in epigenetic processes. Contrarily, high doses act as a pro-oxidant than an anti-oxidant. This may also be the reason why plasma levels are meticulously regulated on the level of absorption and excretion in the kidney. Interestingly, most cells contain vitamin C in millimolar concentrations, which is much higher than its plasma concentrations, and compared to other vitamins. The role of vitamin C is well demonstrated by miscellaneous symptoms of its absence—scurvy. The only clinically well-documented indication for vitamin C is scurvy. The effects of vitamin C administration on cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infections are rather minor or even debatable in the general population. Vitamin C is relatively safe, but caution should be given to the administration of high doses, which can cause overt side effects in some susceptible patients (e.g., oxalate renal stones). Lastly, analytical methods for its determination with advantages and pitfalls are also discussed in this review. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:53:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01a9dec529854b3b82ba7d43378a4ae2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-6643 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:53:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nutrients |
| spelling | doaj.art-01a9dec529854b3b82ba7d43378a4ae22023-12-11T17:02:33ZengMDPI AGNutrients2072-66432021-02-0113261510.3390/nu13020615Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and DeterminationMartin Doseděl0Eduard Jirkovský1Kateřina Macáková2Lenka Kujovská Krčmová3Lenka Javorská4Jana Pourová5Laura Mercolini6Fernando Remião7Lucie Nováková8Přemysl Mladěnka9on behalf of The OEMONOMDepartment of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry and Diagnostics, University Hospital Hradec Králové, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicResearch group of Pharmaco-Toxicological Analysis (PTA Lab), Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology (FaBiT), Alma Mater Studiorum—University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, ItalyUCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Toxicology, Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, PortugalDepartment of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicDepartment of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Charles University, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech RepublicVitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) has been known as an antioxidant for most people. However, its physiological role is much larger and encompasses very different processes ranging from facilitation of iron absorption through involvement in hormones and carnitine synthesis for important roles in epigenetic processes. Contrarily, high doses act as a pro-oxidant than an anti-oxidant. This may also be the reason why plasma levels are meticulously regulated on the level of absorption and excretion in the kidney. Interestingly, most cells contain vitamin C in millimolar concentrations, which is much higher than its plasma concentrations, and compared to other vitamins. The role of vitamin C is well demonstrated by miscellaneous symptoms of its absence—scurvy. The only clinically well-documented indication for vitamin C is scurvy. The effects of vitamin C administration on cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infections are rather minor or even debatable in the general population. Vitamin C is relatively safe, but caution should be given to the administration of high doses, which can cause overt side effects in some susceptible patients (e.g., oxalate renal stones). Lastly, analytical methods for its determination with advantages and pitfalls are also discussed in this review.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/615ascorbic acidantioxidantprooxidantscurvyoxalateepigenetic |
| spellingShingle | Martin Doseděl Eduard Jirkovský Kateřina Macáková Lenka Kujovská Krčmová Lenka Javorská Jana Pourová Laura Mercolini Fernando Remião Lucie Nováková Přemysl Mladěnka on behalf of The OEMONOM Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination Nutrients ascorbic acid antioxidant prooxidant scurvy oxalate epigenetic |
| title | Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination |
| title_full | Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination |
| title_fullStr | Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination |
| title_short | Vitamin C—Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination |
| title_sort | vitamin c sources physiological role kinetics deficiency use toxicity and determination |
| topic | ascorbic acid antioxidant prooxidant scurvy oxalate epigenetic |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/615 |
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