Riboflavin is essential in the diet and the human body is unable to synthesize this vitamin. It is a water-soluble, photosensitive, crystalline pigment the present of which can be determined by fluorometric as well as micro-biological and absorptive-photometrical methods.
Riboflavin is not stored in the body, requiring people to replenish supply daily from the diet. Food sources of riboflavin include: beef liver, dairy products, eggs, meat, wheat germ and tuna fish.
Riboflavin deficiency causes ariboflavinosis, a common nutritional deficiency disease.
In man the syndrome is said to consist of cheilosis, perlèche -like erosions, seborrhea of the face, vascularization of corneo and keratitis.
The facial and labial lesions of ariboflavinosis contribute largely to the typical facies of classic pellagra and with glossitis constitute the picture of "pellagra sine pellagra."
Photophobia, burning and itching of the eyes, a sensation of eyestrain or rapid visual fatigue, poor distant vision and blurred vision in poor light or twilight are specific symptoms.
Red blood cell glutathione reductase activity can be measured for evidence of deficiency, but usually clinical findings are sufficient to consider deficiency.
Ariboflavinosis