Thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin of B-complex. In the human body it has an energy releasing function which in deficiency symptoms especially effects the central nervous system.
Thiamine consists of a pyrimidine- and thiazole ring liked by a methylene bridge.
The metabolically active form of thiamine is thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP). TPP is synthesised by the transfer of a pyrophosphate group from ATP to thiamine. ATP is cleaved into AMP by thiamine pyrophosphate synthetase and the released pyrophosphate is added to thiamine.
TPP acts as coenzyme in two important metabolic pathways:
Adults require about 1-1.5mg/day
Vitamin B1 deficiency leads to a disease called beri-beri with two major formes:
Tiberiu Nistor - Basic in descriptive biochemistry
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