Abstract
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an essential human nutrient. In addition to its role as an important antioxidant, vitamin C participates in collagen, catecholamine and carnitine in vivo synthesis. One important physiological function of vitamin C is serving as a co-factor of Fe2+/α-ketoglutaric-acid dependent dioxygenases, which contain many epigenetic enzymes. Vitamin C is thus critical for epigenetic regulation. We recently determined that vitamin C can enhance the induction efficiency of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through its epigenetic regulatory role. In this review, we discuss the effect of vitamin C on epigenetic enzymes and somatic reprogramming, thereby expanding our understanding of vitamin C functionality in the areas of life sciences and human health.
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