Answer to Question #90043 in Organic Chemistry for Alaa

Question

Organic acid protects against scurvy

Answer 1

Scurvy is a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Prolyl hydroxylase requires ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to maintain its enzymatic activity. In the vitamin C deficiency disease scurvy, the collagen synthesized cannot form fibers properly. This results in the skin lesions, blood vessel fragility, and poor wound healing that are symptomatic of this ultimately fatal vitamin deficiency disease [Donald Voet, Judith G. Voet. Biochemistry (4th Edition), 2011, p. 236]. For the correction of deficiency, vitamin C is often supplemented in large doses and unlike fat soluble vitamins, toxicity is rare. Recently the role of vitamin C in infection and immunity has also been investigated [Indian J. Clin. Biochem. 2013, 28(4), p. 314–328; doi: 10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3].