Folic acid is the most occurring water insoluble source in world and it occurs as yellow crystals. Lots of important chemicals are found in folic acid like: pteroyl glutamic acid (PGA), pteridine, paraaminobenzoic acid (PABA) and last but not the least is glutamic acid. These all chemicals are most important for human body. Folic acid is found as a dietary source in liver, green leafy vegetables, egg, meat and milk. Folic acid is given to pregnant lady for lactation or any high metabolic activity.
Folic acid is also known as folate, its deficiency occurs due to inadequate dietary intake and its malabsorption causes disease like celiac disease, tropical sprue, regional ileitis etc. folic acid is released by liver in chronic alcholism. The demand of folate or folic acid is increased in pregnancy, lactation, rapid growth periods and haemolytic anaemia. Drugs which is given in deficiency of folate is phenytoin, phenobarbitone and last but not the least primidone. Oral contraceptive is given for absorption and storage of folate.
Disease caused by deficiency of folate are megaloblastic anaemia, actually megaloblastic anaemia is caused due to vitamin-B12 but after deficiency of vitamin B-12 folate deficiency develops more rapidly if dietary sources is not going into the body. In megaloblastic anaemia if lot of folic acid is lost then person may have problems like glossitis, enteritis, diarrhoea, steatorrhoea, weight loss etc. folic acid dose is given 2 to 5 mg/day and liquid oral preparations and injectables can also given to the patient who is suffering from severe deficiency of folate.