Define Briefly about the Pyridoxine vitamin B6?
Pyridoxine or vitamin B6 is one of the B complex vitamins which prevents and cures dermatitis in rats fed on vitamin B6 deficient diets. Vitamin B6 comprises a triad of closely related heterocycles that in free form are called pyridoxine (PN), pyridoxal (PL) and pyridoxamine (PM). Look up Unit 3 in the Nutritional Biochemistry Course for understanding the structure of these compounds. As you would have noticed, pyridoxine contains a pyridine nucleus, Lwo primary alcoholic groups and one phenolic hydroxyl group. Pyridoxal contains an aldehyde group in place of one primary alcoholic group and pyridoxainine contains a primary amide side chain in place of a primary alcoholic group. The natural base forms of the three vitamin B6 vitamers vary in the substituent at position 4 of 2-methyl 3 hydroxy -5 -hydroxy mehyl-pyridine.