The Role of Biotin in Metabolism and Overall Health

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or sometimes referred to as vitamin H, is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin that plays a crucial role in maintaining the body’s overall metabolic health. It functions as a coenzyme, assisting enzymes that transfer carbon and oxygen atoms between molecules within cells. Through these biochemical reactions, biotin helps convert food into usable energy by aiding the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. This makes it essential for supporting the body’s natural energy production and for maintaining normal physiological functions.

One of biotin’s most important roles is in the synthesis of fatty acids and amino acids—key building blocks for healthy cell growth and tissue repair. This contributes to the maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and nails, which is why biotin is often found in beauty supplements. Additionally, biotin supports nervous system function and helps regulate gene expression, further emphasizing its role in sustaining good health.

Biotin can be obtained naturally from a variety of foods. Excellent sources include liver, egg yolks, yeast, nuts (especially almonds and walnuts), seeds, and legumes such as beans and lentils. Certain fish, such as salmon, are also rich in biotin; just two ounces of salmon can provide about 25 percent of the Adequate Intake (AI) for adults. Although there is no established Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for biotin, deficiencies are rare. This is because gut bacteria naturally synthesize sufficient amounts of the vitamin to supplement dietary intake.

In general, a balanced diet provides all the biotin the body needs. However, maintaining diverse food choices—particularly those rich in whole grains, nuts, and eggs—ensures that the body has enough of this vital nutrient to support healthy metabolism, growth, and overall vitality.
The Role of Biotin in Metabolism and Overall Health

Vitamin B7 or biotin

Using feeding studies with dried egg white, Boas first described in 1927 that mammals require the water soluble vitamin biotin.

Biotin is a bicyclic compound; one of the rings contains an ureido group and the other contains sulfur in a tetrahydrothiophene ring with a valeric acid side chain. It is an imidazole derivative with chemical structure C10H16N2O3S1.

Like other B vitamins, biotin acts as coenzymes in dozens of reactions. Among these reactions are amino acid metabolism, including the conversion of amino acids to glucose; fatty acid synthesis; release of energy from fatty acids and DNA synthesis.

Novel roles for biotin in cell signaling, epigenetic control of gene expression and chromatin structure have also been discovered.

In food, mostly meats and protein, biotin is found both free and bound to protein. The protein bound form can liberated via proteases yielding free biotin forms, predominantly biotin and secondary biocytin.

Good sources of biotin include cauliflower liver, peanuts and cheeses. Egg yolks are also a good source of biotin but a protein called avidin in raw egg whites bonds biotin and prevents its absorption from raw eggs. Biotin deficiency leads to impairment of gluconeogenesis and fat metabolism.

Biotin deficiencies can also induce severe metabolic acidosis. The first manifestation of biotin deficiency is a depressed biotin level in urine. Subsequently, the following clinical signs may develop: dermatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia and central nervous system abnormalities.
Vitamin B7 or biotin

Biotin in general

Biotin is a water soluble vitamin that is generally classified in the B complex group.

Biotin is reported to be coenzyme in the synthesize of aspartic acid, which plays a part in a deaminase system and in other processes involving the fixation of carbon dioxide.

Biotin concentration in plasma are small relative those of other water soluble vitamins. Most biotin in plasma is free, dissolved in the aqueous phase of plasma.

Deficiency of this compound is unusual, but can be demonstrated by the feeding of raw egg white, which contains the substance, avidin, which ties up biotin.

Because some anticonvulsant drugs breakdown biotin, people who take then for long periods also risk a deficiency.

Infants born with biotinidase deficiency suffer from a rare genetic defect that leads to biotin depletion.

Deficiency of biotin cause scaling skin, skin lesions, and a deterioration of nerve fibers.

Due to production of biotin by the microbial flora of the intestine, the requirement for this compound is not known.

The deficiency also can delay growth and development.

Biotin is widely distributed in foods and feedstuff, but mostly in very low concentration.

Liver is an excellent source of biotin, and peanuts, peas, beans and whole cooked eggs are good sources.

Most fruits and meats rank as poor source.
Biotin in general

Discovery of Biotin

The discovery of biotin and the eventual elucidation of its structure, as well as its role in metabolism, involved diverse investigation spanning many decades.

Early in the 1900s, it was observed that certain strains of yeast required a material called ‘bios’ for growth.

Biotin was the name given to a substance isolated from egg yolk by Kogl and Tonnis in 1936 that was necessary for yeast growth.

This substance was discovered to be identical to a growth factor named coenzymes R that was required by legume nodule bacteria.

The toxic properties of feeding raw egg white to animals were first observed by Bateman in 1927.

Clinical sign of dermatitis and hair loss due to egg white injury were prevented by several researchers by feeding certain foods, notably liver and kidney.

It was recognized in 1936 that this condition can be healed by biotin supplements.

Paul Gyorky, Hungarian biochemist, studied the chemistry of this protective factor in certain foods, which he named factor H in 1937.

In 1940 Gyorky and associates found that biotin, vitamin H and coenzyme R were the same substance.

Biotin was extracted from egg yolks, but is also to be found in yeast, liver and elsewhere.

The structure id biotin was determined by Dr. Vincent du Vigneaud in 1942, and the vitamin was synthesized soon after by Harris and co-workers in 1943.

Soon after the research into its chemistry, it was discovered that biotin in involved in biochemical carboxyl transfers.
Discovery of Biotin

Deficiency of Biotin

Biotin is a water soluble vitamin that is generally classified in the B complex group. This B complex vitamin used in the formation of enzymes that fuel the human body.

Biotin is a key factor in metabolizing and utilizing fats an glucose for energy.

Deficiency of this compound is unusual, but can be demonstrated by the feeding of raw egg white, which contains the substance, avidin, which ties up biotin.

Because some anticonvulsant drugs breakdown biotin, people who take then for long periods also risk a deficiency.

Biotin deficiency also has been clearly demonstrated in biotinidase deficiency. This due to several process which involved gastrointestinal absorption, salvage of biotin at cellular level and renal loss of biocytin.

Infants born with biotinidase deficiency suffer from a rare genetic defect that leads to biotin depletion.

Decreased levels of biotin cause the metabolism to become severely impaired. When enzymes aren’t available to breakdown and build up protein, every biochemical process of the body suffers since protein are the essential building blocks of cellular composition.

The clinical findings and biochemical abnormalities caused by biotinidase deficiency are quiet similar to those of biotin deficiency: common finding include periorificial dermatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia, ataxia, and development delay.
Deficiency of Biotin

B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin

B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin
Niacin (nicotinic acid) is one of vitamin B. This compound is part of an enzyme system regulating reduction reactions in the body. It is also a compound that dilates blood vessels. Deficiency of niacin causes pellagra (a disease that causes diarrhea, dermatitis, nervous disorders, and sometimes death). The requirement for niacin is about ten times that for thiamin. Beef, hog and lamb livers are excellent sources of niacin. Other organs and the musculature of these animals are good to fair sources.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is part of the enzyme system that remove CO2 from the acid group (COOH) of certain amino acids and transfers amine groups (NH2) from one compound to another in the body. It is also needed for the utilization of certain amino acids. Deficiency manifestations are dermatitis around the eyes, eyebrows, and angles of the mouth. They may so be a sensory neuritis and a decrease in certain white blood cells and increase in others. Bananas, barley, beef and beef organs, cabbage, raw carrots, yellow corn, lamb and the organs of lamb, malt ,molasses, peanuts, pork and the organs of hogs, potatoes, rice, salmon, sardine, tomatoes, tuna, wheat bran and germ, flour and yams are goods to excellent source of pyridoxine.

Biotin is reported to be a coenzyme in the synthesis of aspartic acid, which plays a part in a deaminase system and in other processes involving the fixation of carbon dioxide. Deficiency of this compound is unusual, but can be demonstrated by the feeding of raw egg white, which contains the substance, avidin, which ties up biotin. Deficiencies of biotin cause scaling skin, skin lesion and a deterioration of nerve fibers. Due to the production of biotin by microbiological flora of the intestine, the requirement for this compound is not known, Liver is an excellent source of biotin, and peanut, peas, beans, and whole cooked eggs are good sources.
B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin