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Cobalt Metabolism

Cobalt is found in small amounts in foods like fish, nuts, and leafy vegetables. It is an essential nutrient that is used to make vitamin B12, which is needed for DNA synthesis and energy production. Humans must obtain vitamin B12 through animal foods in the diet, as microbes in the gut cannot synthesize it. Cobalt is absorbed in the small intestine and circulates bound to transport proteins before being used or stored in tissues like the liver. Deficiency of cobalt can occur if someone follows a strict vegetarian diet for a long period without taking a B12 supplement.

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255 views14 pages

Cobalt Metabolism

Cobalt is found in small amounts in foods like fish, nuts, and leafy vegetables. It is an essential nutrient that is used to make vitamin B12, which is needed for DNA synthesis and energy production. Humans must obtain vitamin B12 through animal foods in the diet, as microbes in the gut cannot synthesize it. Cobalt is absorbed in the small intestine and circulates bound to transport proteins before being used or stored in tissues like the liver. Deficiency of cobalt can occur if someone follows a strict vegetarian diet for a long period without taking a B12 supplement.

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Shofwatunnisa
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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COBALT METABOLISM

Cobalt in food

• High concentrations of cobalt are found in


– fish (0.01 mg/kg),
– nuts (0.09 mg/kg),
– green leafy vegetables (0.009 mg/kg) and
– fresh cereals (0.01 mg/kg), and
• most of the cobalt ingested is inorganic.
• The mean population intake of cobalt is 0.012
mg/day.
• cobalt (as the sulphate) is included in some
multi-constituent licensed medicines, at a
maximum daily dose of 0.25 mg
Functions of Cobalt and Vitamin B12

• Essential coenzyme for


– Propionate metabolism
• methylmalonyl CoA to succinyl CoA
– DNA synthesis
– Bacterial synthesis of methionine
• Microflora of human intestine cannot use cobalt to
synthesize physiologically active cobalamine.
– Human vitamin B12 requirements must be supplied in
the diet
– Free (nonvitamin B12) cobalt does not interact with the
body vitamin B12 pool.

3
Vitamin B12
Digestion/Absorption

• Ingested cobalamins must be released from


food matrix
– Attached to polypeptides in foods
– Release occurs via action of pepsin
• Functions at low pH
• Requires adequate HCl production
• Released cobalamin interacts with:
– R-binders (R-protein), Transcobalamin (TCI),
Haptocorrin (Hc)
• R protein (found in saliva and gastric juice)
• Non-specific
• Complex moves from stomach into SI
• In duodenum, R protein is hydrolyzed by proteases
– Inhibited by pancreatic insufficiency
Absorption

• Cobalamins bind to IF in proximal intestine


– Cobalamin-IF complex travel to ileum
– Binds to receptors and is slowly absorbed into enterocyte
• Can occur by passive diffusion when pharmacologic
amounts are given
– Used for people not producing IF
• Malabsorption occurs
– Achlorydia
– Lack of IF
– Pancreatic insufficiency
• Absorption rate decreases with increased intake
(80% to 3%)
In Circulation
• Cobalamins bound to one of three proteins
called transcobalamins
– TCI = binds 90% of vitamin B12 and may function
as circulating storage form (hoptocorrin)
– TCII = carries newly absorbed cobalamin to
tissues and helps with uptake of cobalamin
• Receptors on cells for TCII
– TCIII = delivers cobalamin from periphery back to
liver
– Methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin found
primarily in blood
• Stored in liver (adenosylcobalamin)
COBALT METABOLISM
Transport
• TC receptors are degraded upon cellular
uptake to release B12.
• All vitamin within cell is bound to protein:
– Methionine synthetase (cytosol) and
methymalonyl-CoA mutase (mitochondria)
• Distribution in tissues
– Total body store 2-5mg
– Liver (60%)
– Long biological half life: 350-400 days in human.
– Low reserve in infant: about 25 μg.
– Plasma: methylcobalamin (60-80% of total)
Sources and Intakes

• -microorganisms are able to synthesize B12


• -***humans must obtain B12 and cobalt from
animal foods such as organ and muscle meat
• -***takes a long time to become deficient—
happens in vegetarians
Deficiency
• related to vit B12 deficiency
• macrocytic anemia
• genetic defect: pernicious anemia
Toxicity

• Polycythemia
• hyperplasia
• Reticulocytosis
• increased blood volume

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