Folic acid

Synthetic. Chemical. CAS: 59-30-3. Formula: C19H19N7O6. MW: 441.4. Synthetic. Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin is an essential nutritional component of the human diet. It is necessary for the production and maintenance of new cells, for DNA synthesis and RNA synthesis, and for preventing changes to DNA, and consequently cancer. It is especially important during periods of frequent cell division and growth, such as infancy and pregnancy. Folate is needed to carry one-carbon groups for methylation reactions and nucleic acid synthesis. Folic acid deficiency hinders DNA synthesis and cell division, affecting hematopoietic cells and neoplasms the most because of their greater frequency of cell division. Both adults and children need folate to make normal red and white blood cells and prevent anemia. Deficiency of folic acid in pregnant women has been implicated in neural tube defects (NTD).