Many coenzymes are closely related to vitamins and some of them form important growth factors. Vitamins are essential factors in the diet and must be ingested with the food. Deficiency of vitamins in foods leads to several deficiency syndromes and diseases in humans and animals. Generally these vitamins are not synthesized by the body tissues and must be supplied along with the diet. Vitamins are divided into two groups based on their solubility properties: Fat-soluble and water –soluble. Fat –soluble vitamins will be treated elsewhere along with nutrition, while the water-soluble ones will be discussed here since they form the precursors of coenzymes. A vitamin is the main component of a coenzyme endowed with biocatalytic function. Here we shall examine those vitamins which are present in the coenzymes in some form.

Coenzymes participate in a variety of functions; hence for the sake of convenience they can be classified on the basis of the nature of group transfer reactions. The coenzymes involved in transfer of hydrogen’s are called hydrogen transferring enzymes, and those which transfer a specific group are known as group transferring coenzymes. Almost all coenzymes contain a phosphoric acid group, which is an essential component.
Some coenzymes are not derived from vitamins, but form essential factors in isomerization, phosphate transfer and hydrogen transfer reactions. These shall be treated here in a separate section.

For more help in Coenzymes as Vitamins please click the button below to submit your homework assignment