Vitamin B (B vitamins) is an indispensable substance for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the human body. Most of the B vitamins are soluble in water, including vitamin B1 (Thiamine), vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), vitamin B3 (Niacin), vitamin B4 (Aminopurine phosphate), vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid, Pentosan) acid), vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), vitamin B7 (vitamin H), vitamin B8 (Adenine nucleotide), vitamin B11 (Folate), vitamin B12 (Cobalamins) etc.
Among the many B vitamins, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin B11 and vitamin B12 are commonly used by the human body, and as coenzymes play an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the human body.
What are the factors that affect the stability of vitamins?
Vitamins are easily oxidized or reduced during storage because their molecular structures contain hydroxyl groups, unsaturated double bonds and other components that are sensitive to chemical reactions, such as light, heat, pH, moisture and trace elements. These factors affect the stability of vitamins. These influencing factors will destroy the structure of vitamin molecules through different reaction pathways, such as photochemical reaction, electron transfer reaction, free radical reaction, etc.
The stability of B vitamins is closely related to the pH, moisture and trace elements of their solutions. For example, vitamin B1 and vitamin B2 are relatively stable in acidic solution; vitamin B5 and vitamin B11 are relatively stable in weak alkaline solution, but unstable under photothermal conditions. If the premix contains trace elements of choline, vitamin B4 hydrochloride and B6 will decompose rapidly, but if the water content in the premix is low, it is relatively stable. Vitamin B2 in the premix is relatively stable under high temperature and high humidity conditions. Vitamin B11 is relatively sensitive to water, moisture, light and reducing agents, unstable in acidic solutions, and relatively stable under high temperature conditions.
It can be seen that the most important factors affecting the stability of vitamins are moisture and oxygen in the air, as well as redox reactions caused by trace elements.