Orotic acid (vitamin B13)

Vitamin B13 or Orotic Acid is a naturally occurring compound that is derived from distillers which is made up of dried up soluble and plays an important part in the biosynthetic metabolism of pyrimidines. Orotic acid is a partial substitute for the deficiency of vitamin B12.

Orotic acid as mentioned above occurs naturally and is also known as pyrimidine-carboxylic acid and a heterocyclic compound. Orotates are the salts which are carries of minerals in certain diet supplements in order to help increase bioavailability. Lithium orotate is one of the most commonly used supplements.

Which are the sources of this acid?

Root vegetables are a rich source apart from this orotate an organic insoluble salt is formed by the binding of this acid with minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium etc. These minerals are transported into the blood by orotate salts from the digestive system. These minerals are separated in the blood stream.

Vitamin B13 main function is to help metabolic activities of folic acid and vitamin B12. Orotic acid finds its use in the cosmetic industry as it is a cosmetic ingredient and derives medicinal values. It also helps improve the levels of pyrimidine and myocardial purine by stimulating the release of uridine in the blood stream.

This acid also helps improve the tolerance of the heart and is used to treat multiple sclerosis. Magnesium orotate helps reduce chronic myocardial dysfunction and the structural damage to the cardiomyopathy, it also helps improve the tolerance of coronary artery patients and the side effect though minor is it effects people with normal heart functions.

Orotic acid as you know is a chemical and is used as an alternate mode of treatment when a blockage is found in the urea cycle. Excess of orotic acid is found when there is OTC deficiency which leads to hyperammonemia. An important indicator of ammonia metabolism this acid indicates any disorder which can lead to deaths or genetic disorder. It has been noticed that there has been an increase in the level of orotic acid in the excreta when there is a viral infection, dyfunctioning of the liver, high alcohol intake, drug abuse and in some cases there have been gastrointestinal bleedings too.

This acid has shown to effect the foliate metabolism directly and both foliate and orotic acid are required for the DNA synthesis. There has also been a noted effect of vitamins due to the deficiency of this acid as its plays a major role in both the DNA and RNA synthesis. OA is a mediator for the manufacturing of pyrimidine bases of Uralic, thymine and cytosine. All these form nearly half the base for the synthesis of both DNA and RNA.

This acid can be found in various organisms like the small structured yeast to the multi celled humans. It is also responsible for the conversion of Orotic acid to Uridine. This is done by attaching itself to ribose and phosphate group. The molecule thus formed is OMP or orotidine5’-monophosphate which in immediately turned to UMP or uridine 5’-monosphosphate.