Chemistry of Vitamin B12

Abstract

Publisher Summary Since the chemistry of the antipernicious anemia factor, vitamin B 12 , was last reviewed in “Vitamins and Hormones” by Folkers and Wolf, outstanding progress has been made, resulting in the complete structural elucidation of the vitamin. It is the purpose of this chapter to bring that review up t o date by reviewing results published between the date of its appearance and September, 1956. The demand for vitamin B 12 has increased, and many recent papers on the preparation of the vitamin are concerned with commercial production which depends on fermentation methods; in fact vitamin B 12 is synthesized almost entirely by microorganisms in nature. It is now more usual to employ special organisms for B 12 production than to isolate it as a by-product from antibiotic fermentations. Various species of Streptomyces have been recommended for the preparation of vitamin B12, for example S. olivaceus, as well as Bacillus megatherium, although no outstanding improvements have been reported in its isolation.