Thiamine is a generic term applied to all substances possessing vitamin B1 activity, regardless of the anion attached to the molecule. Thiamine the biologically active thiamine pyrophosphate (diphospho-thiamine, cocarboxylase) has an important role in carbohydrate metabolism as a co-enzymes.
This substance is heat and oxygen stable in its dry form, heat and alkali reactive in solution and stabilized by acid.
Thiamine supplementation is usually provided in vitamin B –complex formulations, in most multivitamin preparation and in vitamin enriched foods such as cereals. Breakfast cereals and bread are often supplemented with additional vitamin B1. Thiamine is found widely distributed in foods. Thiamine is found in all plants and is synthesized by some microorganism, particularly yeasts.
Thiamine does not appear to be stored in the body to any appreciable extent; consequently, deficiency symptoms may be observed within a few weeks in subjects maintained on a deficient diet. The disease known as beriberi, which has neurological and cardiac symptoms, results from a severe dietary deficiency of thiamine.
In the diagnosis of thiamine deficiency, symptoms to be noted in particular are anorexia, fatigue, loss of weight, sensation of burning in the soles of the feet, tenderness in calf muscles, muscle cramps and general muscular weakness.
Thiamine in general
