What Is Thiamine?
Thiamine, commonly known as vitamin B1, encompasses several chemicals, including thiamine chloride and thiamine nitride, along with derivatives like fursultiamine hydrochloride.
Uses of Thiamine
Thiamine has various uses, particularly in pharmaceuticals, foods, and cosmetics.
1. Ethical Pharmaceuticals:
As an active pharmaceutical ingredient, thiamine appears in various forms, including thiamine chloride hydrochloride, thiamine disulfide, and fursultiamine. These are used in injectable, capsule, and spray preparations and are indicated for conditions related to vitamin B1 deficiency, such as Wernicke’s encephalopathy and beriberi.
2. Over-the-counter Drugs and Quasi-Drugs:
In OTC drugs, thiamine is used as a vitamin and in drinks. Drugs with significant thiamine content are classified as Class III drugs.
3. Food Products:
The daily recommended intake of thiamine is 1.4 mg for men and 1.1 mg for women, with a slightly higher requirement during pregnancy and lactation. It’s included in foods as a nutritional supplement to support carbohydrate metabolism.
4. Cosmetics:
Thiamine is used in serums, lotions, and body creams as a skin conditioning agent, particularly in the form of thiamine hydrochloride.
Principle of Thiamine
Thiamine functions as a coenzyme in energy metabolism, particularly in sugar metabolism and the citric acid cycle. Thiamine in food is released during cooking and in the stomach and is converted in the body into thiamine diphosphate, a coenzyme that assists enzymes. Excess vitamin B1 is excreted in urine as it is water-soluble.
Other Information on Thiamine
Compounds and derivatives of thiamine include cetothiamine hydrochloride hydrate, thiamine chloride hydrochloride, thiamine nitride, fursultiamine hydrochloride, dibenzoyl thiamine, thiamine hydrochloride, thiamine nitrate, and others.