provitamin

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A vitamin precursor that the body converts to its active form through normal metabolic processes. Carotene, for example, is a provitamin of vitamin A.

A substance that is converted into a vitamin, such as 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is converted into vitamin D, or those carotenes that can be converted to vitamin A.

Any substance in food that may be transformed into a vitamin within the body; a potential vitamin.

An inactive precursor of a vitamin; e.g. the yellow-orange carotenes are provitamins of vitamin A.

A substance, e.g. ergosterol, from which the animal organism can form a vitamin.

• p. A — see carotene.

A provitamin is a substance that can be converted into a vitamin by animal tissues. Similar to a prodrug that is metabolized into a drug.

List of provitamins

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Vitamin	Provitamin(s)
A	Carotene, cryptoxanthin
B5	Panthenol
D2	Ergosterol
D3	7-Dehydrocholesterol
E	Tocopheryl acetate

See also

• Prodrug

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