Vitamins in Milk and Dairy Products: B-Group Vitamins - Advanced Dairy Chemistry - page 599

Table 13.4. Recommended daily uptake of pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid (mg day -1 ) Age

Sucklings < 4 months 2

Sucklings 4-12 months 3

Children 1-4 years 4

Children 4-7 years 4

Children 7-10 years 5

Children 10-13 years 5

Children 13-15 years 6

Adults 15-25 years 6

Adults 25-51 years 6

Adults 51-65 years 6

Adults > 65 years 6

Pregnant 6

Breast feeding 6

From DGE (2007)

occur under experimental conditions are known (e.g. application of an
antagonist ( ! -methylpantothenic acid); severe malnutrition), as pantothe-
nic acid occurs in almost all kinds of food and true requirements are hard
to assess. The first symptoms of a deficiency are headache, fatigue, GIT
disturbances, palpitation of the heart, burning feet syndrome (first
described in prisoners during World War II in Burma, Japan and the
Philippines); prolonged deficiency leads to retarded wound healing, hypo-
tonia and uncoordinated movements (Biesalski, 2004). In general, all

symptoms are reversible.
Due to large individual variations, both the levels in blood and the
amount in urine are not good indicators for the vitamin status. However, a
blood level between 1 and 4 mg l -1 is regarded as sufficient. A daily uptake of
4-6 mg day -1 is recommended by several nutritional societies because of
epidemiological data: 1 mg day -1 did not lead to deficiency symptoms in
humans. Interestingly, some intestinal bacteria can synthesize pantothenic
acid, but this source seems to be ineffective in humans.
Pantothenic acid is used therapeutically in doses up to 5 mg day -1 to
treat burns (sunburn), anal fissures, rhagades or conjunctival inflammation
without any signs of hypervitaminosis. It is required as a supplement in
patients on total parenteral nutrition or those who regularly undergo dialysis.
In addition, administration of pantothenic acid is used to counteract the
inhibitory effects of some drugs on respiratory metabolism (e.g. valproic
acid). During surgery, the vitamin leads to improved wound healing (Liepa
et al., 2007).