Vitamin B9
Folate (vitamin B9) is the collective term for all vitamin-active derivatives of pteroylmonoglutamic acid. As part of the B vitamins, they are water-soluble vitamins and are also sensitive to light, oxygen, heat and extreme pH values.
In Germany, the daily intake of folic acid and folates is usually below the amount recommended by the German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.). In other countries, supplementation of staple foods such as wheat or rice is already mandatory. In Germany, however, this has so far been dispensed with due to the potential toxicity of synthetic folic acid. Insufficient folate intake can favour the development of certain types of cancer, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular diseases. Particularly during pregnancy, an undersupply of folate harbours the risk of neural tube defects or other malformations in the foetus.
The development and discovery of alternative folate sources, in which folate/folic acid is formed naturally, is therefore a decisive step in counteracting deficiencies. Our group analyses fruits, cereal and fermentation products as well as microalgae for their folate content. The samples are enzymatically digested, purified using solid phase extraction (SPE) and then quantified using stable isotope dilution analysis (SIDA) by LCMS/MS. A distinction is made between five different vitamins: Folic acid, tetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 10-formyl-pteroylmonoglutamate.
Exemplary publications:
- Folates in fruits and vegetables: content, processing, stability
- Revision of the folate content of foods using SIDA
Latest publications: