L-Ascorbic acid (AA) or vitamin C is a six carbon cetolactone, structurally related to glucose and other hexoses. The major sources of AA are citrus fruits, strawberry, melon, green pepper, potato, tomato and leafy green vegetables. AA interferes with a broad spectrum of oxidation-reduction reactions, acting in at least 10 enzymatic systems. In this way, vitamin C influences the synthesis of collagen, carnitine, and neurotransmitters; the transformation of cholesterol into bile acids; biotransformation of xenobiotics substances; absorption of iron; and formation and scavenging of oxygen free radicals. AA is used as food addictive because of its antioxidant properties.Therapeutically, it is used as nutritional supplement during scurvy. Human beings and other primates, as well as guinea pigs and some species of bats are mammals that are unable to synthesize AA; thus, they need AA in the diet to prevent scurvy. Rats are able to synthesize AA using glucose, through intermediary formation of D-glucuronic acid, L-gulonic acid and gulonolactone.Homo sapiens lack the hepatic enzyme gulonolactone oxidase, which catalyses the last reaction of the biosynthesis pathway (L-gulonolactone conversion to ascorbic acid). The functions of central nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems, and the periodontal tissue, as well as the detoxification function of the liver, are negatively influenced by vitamin C deficiency. In this way, it has been described several benefits of vitamin supplement ingestion, as decreasing of LDL cholesterol, including mega doses that can reach as much as 18g daily. Although there have been raised many literatures about vitamin C use in a wide variety of diseases, there is a lack of clinical efficiency of mega doses; besides, some side effects can come up, as diarrhea and oxalate stones in the kidneys. However, the ideal daily intake of vitamin C is still unknown. This happen because the recommended daily intake is based in a single role of AA, the scurvy prevention. Daily ingestion of AA should be the same quantity excreted or destroyed by oxidation, taking into consideration AA actions on the enzymatic systems. Actually, vitamin C is necessary for health in little quantities and is harmful in large doses. It happens because the cells are always walking a balance between oxidation and reduction processes, and AA in great quantities assume oxidative characteristics, interfering in this balance. Although the existence of several evidences indicating AA toxicity in large doses, there are some authors who believe that the ingestion of large doses is safe, but they admit that the disposable data are very contradictory.
Farmacologia e toxicologia do ácido ascórbico: uma revisão
