Current Trends in the Biosynthesis of Vitamins

Vitamins are substances that are consumed through the diet because humans are unable to synthesize them. They play a vital role in the well-being and nutrition of humans, and it may even be that they have a complicated biochemistry. Vitamin deficiencies can lead to serious illnesses and, in some cases, fatalities. Due to their importance in human well-being, a great interest arises in plant-derived vitamins. Owing to their role in redox chemistry and, like enzymatic cofactors, they are vital for metabolism in both animals and plants. The scope of this chapter is confined to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B7, B9, C, A, B1, D, B2, K, B3, B7, E, B5, and B9, which are generated by vascular plants and include amino acid metabolism in their production. As a result, vitamin B12 will not be discussed in this chapter as it is not derived from plants. This chapter aims to provide a general idea of the biosynthesis of amino acid-derived vitamins in plants, as well as how vitamin content in crops may be improved.