Lecture on Solubility of Vitamins

Key Concepts

• Vitamins can be categorized into two types based on their solubility:
  • Water-soluble vitamins
    • Dissolve in bodily fluids
    • Easily eliminated in urine
    • Little danger of overconsumption
  • Fat-soluble vitamins
    • Accumulate in body's fatty deposits
    • Overconsumption can be dangerous

Vitamin Classification Based on Structure

Vitamin C

• Classification: Water-soluble
• Structure Details:
  • Contains 4 OH (hydroxyl) groups
  • Highly polar
  • Capable of hydrogen bonding with water

Vitamin K3

• Classification: Fat-soluble
• Structure Details:
  • Carbon-carbon bonds are non-polar
  • Carbon-hydrogen bonds nearly non-polar
  • Carbon-oxygen bonds are polar but dipoles cancel out
  • Dominated by non-polar bonds

Vitamin A

• Classification: Fat-soluble
• Structure Details:
  • Carbon-carbon bonds are non-polar
  • Carbon-hydrogen bonds nearly non-polar
  • One polar OH group but overall non-polar

Vitamin B5

• Classification: Water-soluble
• Structure Details:
  • Contains 3 OH groups and 1 NH group
  • Highly polar
  • Capable of hydrogen bonding with water

Summary

• Analyze the structure of a vitamin to determine its solubility.
• Polar groups such as OH and NH increase water solubility.
• Non-polar structures tend to be fat-soluble.
• Understanding solubility helps in knowing the risks of overconsumption.