Functions and deficiency: Vitamin B12 is vital for growth, a healthy
nervous system and for the formation of red blood cells. It is also involved
in the metabolism of fat and carbohydrates, and is essential for growth. It is
conserved by the body very efficiently, so deficiency can take several years
to develop. Since it is found primarily in animal products, vegetarians are at
risk from deficiency unless they take supplements. In its most extreme form,
deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anaemia and irreversible degeneration of
the spinal cord. In animals, retarded growth and nervous disorders occur.
Production: In the 1920s and 1930s, it was found that liver extracts
and other concentrates of animal origin stimulated the growth of farm animals
and could be used as a treatment for human pernicious anaemia. For many years
the active principle was known as the animal protein factor, and its chemical
nature eluded scientists. Then, in 1948, a crystalline material with the same
characteristics was isolated from liver and called vitamin B12. Its chemical
structure was clarified in 1955, but it was not synthesised until 1973.
Meanwhile, supplies of vitamin B12 were prepared by extraction from
fermentation products, a method that is still the most economic method of
commercial production. The chemical structure of vitamin B12 is the most
complex of all the vitamins.
Product forms: DSM vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) is available as a pure
crystalline powder and in various dilutions in powder form.
