Vitamin B1, Whole Blood – 121186

Vitamin B₁ refers to a group of compounds that include thiamin and its phosphate esters: thiamine monophosphate (TMP), thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), and thiamine triphosphate.^1-5 All living organisms require thiamine, but it is only synthesized by bacteria, fungi, and plants. Thus, thiamine is an essential nutrient for animals that must obtain it from their diets. The principal biologically active form of thiamine is the pyrophosphate, TPP, which serves as a coenzyme for essential decarboxylation reactions by which carbohydrates, fats, and alcohol are metabolized to produce energy. Thiamine serves a role in the biosynthesis of acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). TPP also facilitates the production of reducing substances involved in oxidant stress defenses, as well as for the synthesis of nucleic acid precursors.⁵ Thiamine triphosphate serves an important role in the regulation of ion channels of the nervous system.²