ABSTRACT
Pantothenic acid is present in varying amounts in virtually all plant and animal foods. Pantothenic acid preparations were effective in treating the condition; other vitamin B-complex vitamins were ineffective. Pantothenic acid is the prosthetic group on acyl carrier protein which is concerned with the synthesis of fatty acids. The radioimmunoassay for pantothenic acid provides an alternative method for measuring the vitamin in blood and other tissues. Several gas chromatographic methods have been described for measuring pantothenic acid in foodstuffs. The knowledge on the catabolism of pantothenic acid in the human is incomplete, although it is recognized that some of the vitamin is metabolized to carbon dioxide. Urinary excretion of pantothenic acid may provide a more reliable indicator of pantothenic acid status than blood pantothenic acid levels. Blood levels of pantothenic acid were reported lower in pregnant and lactating women than that of non-pregnant women.
