Vitamins Overview

Definition: Fat-soluble vitamins are substances that are stored in body fat and the liver. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, animals do not require these vitamins daily.
Importance: These vitamins play crucial roles in various biological functions including:
- Bones: Important for bone health and formation.
- Immunity: Enhance the immune system's function.
- Reproduction: Vital for reproductive health.
- Blood Coagulation: Necessary for the blood clotting process.

What it is: Referred to as the "sunshine vitamin," it aids in calcium absorption, essential for bone health.
Forms:
- D2 (ergocalciferol): Derived from plants, specifically sun-cured hay.
- D3 (cholecalciferol): Derived from animal sources or synthesized in the skin through sunlight exposure.
Activation Process:
1. Skin absorbs sunlight, leading to Vitamin D synthesis.
2. Vitamin D travels to the liver for conversion.
3. Finally, it reaches the kidneys where it is activated into 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, the most active form of Vitamin D.
Functions:
- Promotes absorption of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P).
- Essential for the normal formation of bones.
- Contributes to the immune system's efficacy.
Good Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio:
- Most animals: 1:1 or 2:1.
- Laying hens: 10:1.
Deficiency Signs:
- Rickets: A condition resulting in soft bones in young animals.
- Osteomalacia: Weakened bones in adults.
- Elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase in the blood.
- Correction: Vitamin D deficiency can often be remedied through exposure to sunlight.

What it is: Comprises a group of compounds known as tocopherols; alpha-tocopherol is recognized as the most potent form.
Functions:
- Acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from oxidative damage.
- Maintains the health of cell membranes.
- Supports normal muscle function.
- Plays a role in reproductive health.
Sources:
- Commonly found in green leafy forages.
- Present in grains, with corn containing weaker forms.
- Vitamin E content diminishes when hay becomes wet or grains spoil.
Deficiency Signs:
- Reproductive Failure: Challenges in successful reproduction.
- Muscle Problems: Associated with "white muscle disease".
- Damage to cell membranes.
- In Chicks: Development of encephalomalacia, colloquially called "crazy chick disease," and exudative diathesis.
- In Livestock: Nutritional muscular dystrophy noted.
Note: Selenium (Se) is a mineral that aids in preventing white muscle disease.

What it is: Known as the "blood clotting vitamin."
Sources:
- Found abundantly in green leafy plants, such as cabbage and kale.
- Present in egg yolk, liver, and fishmeal.
- Ruminant gut bacteria produce K2, which is a form of Vitamin K.
Function: Crucial for prothrombin production, which is necessary for the blood clotting process.
Deficiency Signs:
- Leads to "sweet clover disease" in cattle, a bleeding disorder.
- In chicks, symptoms include anemia, slow blood clotting, and prolonged bleeding.

Definition: These vitamins are not stored in the body (with the exception of Vitamin B12) and therefore, must be obtained regularly from the diet.

Function: Essential for carbohydrate breakdown to release energy.
Deficiency Signs:
- Elevated pyruvate and lactic acid levels in the blood.
- Loss of appetite.
- Symptoms in chicks: "star-gazing" or "head retraction."
- Beriberi in humans, characterized by weakness and nerve damage.
- Bradycardia, which is a slow heart rate.

Function: Integral part of coenzymes FAD and FMN, necessary for metabolism.
Deficiency Signs:
- Poor growth or stunted development.
- Eye and skin issues.
- Fatty liver disease.
- Corneal opacity observed in dogs.
- “Curled toe paralysis” encountered in chicks.

Function: Part of the coenzymes NAD and NADP, essential for energy production and oxidative processes.
Deficiency Signs:
- In pigs, symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, and dermatitis.
- For chicks, signs encompass poor feathering and scaly skin.
- In dogs, presence of "black tongue" denotes a deficiency.
- Ruminants are capable of synthesizing their own niacin.

Function: Necessary for the synthesis of Coenzyme A (CoA), crucial for energy metabolism.
Deficiency Signs:
- Skin lesions appear.
- Nervous system impairments.
- Compromised growth.
- Specific to pigs: manifestation of “goose-stepping,” hair loss, and enteritis.
- In rodents: graying hair and fetal death observed due to deficiency.

Functions:
- Involved in protein metabolism.
- Necessary for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and hormones.
- Plays a role in the formation of red blood cells.
Deficiency Signs:
- Poor reproductive health.
- In chicks, results in inadequate feathering.
- In pigs: seizures may occur alongside stunted growth and crust formation around eyes.

Functions:
- Involved in fat metabolism.
- Plays a role in amino acid metabolism.
- Important for maintaining hoof health.
Deficiency Signs:
- Scaly dermatitis conditions arise.
- Hair loss is noted.
- Young animals may experience heart issues.
- In pigs, cracked hooves and skin lesions can occur.
- Raw egg whites contain avidin, which binds to biotin causing deficiency.

Functions:
- Critical for DNA synthesis.
- Necessary for the formation of amino acids.
- Plays an essential role in cell division.
Deficiency Signs:
- Results in anemia.
- Decreased white blood cell counts.
- Can lead to abnormalities in fetal development.
- Associated with nervous system defects.

Functions:
- Aids in the formation of methionine.
- Essential for propionate metabolism.
- Closely works in conjunction with folate.
Important Note: Ruminants require cobalt, which their microbiota use to synthesize Vitamin B12.
Deficiency Signs:
- Anemia appears.
- Slowed growth rates or stunted development of young.
- Weak offspring and potential for fatty liver.
- Reproductive complications.

Functions:
- Acts as an antioxidant in the body.
- Required for collagen formation, influencing skin, bone, and cartilage health.
- Aids in the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine.
Deficiency Symptoms:
- Scurvy, characterized by bleeding gums, weakened bones, diarrhea, and muscle problems.