indication

For nutritional supplementation and for treating dietary shortage or imbalance.

pharmacology

The two major forms of vitamin B6 are pyridoxine and pyridoxamine. In the liver they are converted to pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) which is a cofactor in many reactions of amino acid metabolism. PLP also is necessary for the enzymatic reaction governing the release of glucose from glycogen. Pyroluria is one potential cause of vitamin B6 deficiency.

mechanism of action

Pyridoxal Phosphate is a coenzyme of many enzymatic reactions. It is the active form of vitamin B6 which comprises three natural organic compounds, pyridoxal, pyridoxamine and pyridoxine. Pyridoxal phosphate acts as a coenzyme in all transamination reactions, and in some decarboxylation and deamination reactions of amino acids. The aldehyde group of pyridoxal phosphate forms a Schiff-base linkage with the epsilon-amino group of a specific lysine group of the aminotransferase enzyme. The alpha-amino group of the amino acid substrate displaces the epsilon-amino group of the active-site lysine residue. The resulting aldimine becomes deprotonated to become a quinoid intermediate, which in turn accepts a proton at a different position to become a ketimine. The resulting ketimine is hydrolysed so that the amino group remains on the protein complex.