Color Atlas of Pharmacology (Part 13): Antianemics

B12a; exchange of -CN for -OH group). Adverse effects, in the form of hypersensitivity reactions, are very rare. Folic Acid (B). Leafy vegetables and liver are rich in folic acid (FA). The minimal requirement is approx. 50 µg/d. Polyglutamine-FA in food is hydrolyzed to monoglutamine-FA prior to being absorbed. FA is heat labile. Causes of deficiency include: insufficient intake, malabsorption in gastrointestinal diseases, increased requirements during pregnancy. Antiepileptic drugs (phenytoin, primidone, phenobarbital) may decrease FA absorption, presumably by inhibiting the formation of monoglutamine-FA. Inhibition of dihydro-FA reductase (e.g., by methotrexate, p. 298) depresses the formation of the active...