B Vitamins in Energy Metabolism

Energy Metabolism is the process in which the body breaks down nutrients for energy
and build up molecules that are needed for growth, repairing and maintaining the bodys tissues.
B vitamins are cofactors in energy metabolism, which help enzymes do their job better.

Glycolysis

Alanine
(amino acid)

Glucose, the main source of fuel for tissues

and cells, is broken down to pyruvate in the cytosol

Glucose

NAD +

PLP (vitamin B6) is involved in amino acid metabolism.

It has an important role in transamination, which is
making nonessential amino acids. When the body is
starved, it helps convert amino acids to pyruvate in
order to make energy for the body.

NADH

Pyruvate
Dehydrogenase
Complex

Pyruvate

Pyruvate enters the mitochondria, where it is

converted into a smaller molecule, acetyl CoA,
that can enter the TCA cycle for energy
production

NAD +
NADH

TPP (thiamin) activates pyruvate dehydrogenase.

Coenzyme A (pantothenic acid) is the substrate for Acetyl CoA.

Biotin is coenzyme for

pyruvate carboxylase.
Acetyl CoA

**Biotin helps make oxaloacetate,

which is the starting molecule for
the TCA cycle. It is also regenerated
at the end of the cycle.

Fatty acids

PLP
Amino acid

TCA Cycle

Oxaloacetate

NADH

Citrate

NAD +

Each step in this cycle is important to generate

energy from food, especially carbohydrates.
It must always be on to some degree in order
to deliver high-electron intermediate carriers to
the ETC for a constant ow of ATP production,
which is vital to tissues in the body.

NAD +

Acetyl CoA is modied in a series

of reactions to release its energy stored
in the chemical bonds and allow intermediate
carriers to pick up electrons and deliver them
to the electron transport chain

NADH

**Pantothenic acid, riboavin and niacin

helps break down fat for energy.
**Biotin helps make healthy fat in the skin.

FADH2
FAD

Acyl CoA synthetase (derived from

pantothenic acid) activates fatty acids
to enter beta-oxidation. In beta-oxidation,
FAD (riboavin) is coenzyme for acyl-CoA
dehydrogenase and NAD (niacin) is
coenzyme for beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA
dehydrogenase.
Biotin is coenzyme for acetyl CoA carboxylase,
which catalyzes fatty acid synthesis.

NAD +

TPP (thiamin) activates alpha-ketoglutarate

dehydrogenase complex and FAD (riboavin) activates
succinate dehydrogenase. Both are enzymes that facilitate
the next step in TCA cycle.

NADH

**Niacin and riboavin are intermediate electron carriers

that pick up electrons and bring them to the ETC, where
their high-energy electrons drive the making of ATP, the form
of energy that cells can use right away

Electron Transport Chain

Energy carried by the intermediate carriers is
brought to the electron transport chain, where
ATP, a usable form of energy, is made

KEY
TTP - thiamin
FAD - riboavin
NAD - niacin
PLP - vitamin B6
biotin - biotin
CoA - pantothenic acid