ABSTRACT
A vitamer is one of several chemical compounds, most often of closely related structure, which can fulfill the function of a given vitamin. One of the more prominent examples is Vitamin B6 where the vitamers include pyridoxal, pyridoxine, 4-pyridoxic acid, and pyridoxal 5’-phosphate. Other examples include Vitamin B2 (flavin Vitamers), folic acid, vitamin K, biotin, Vitamin A, Vitamin D and vitamin E. Vitamers are not pseudovitamins. There are also phytonutrients which have been considered to have vitamin-like status. For example, the bioflavonoids are plant derivatives with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties; derived from citrus fruit rinds, berries, grains, and wines. Some are considered to have anticancer activity. Bioflavonoids/flavonoids are considered to be polyphenols (Albert, A., Manach, C., Morand, C., Rémésy, C., and Jimémez, L., Dietary polyphenols and the prevention of diseases, Crit.Rev.Food Sci.Nutr. 45, 287–306, 2005).
