Abstract

L-Folic acid is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin. Folates are a group of compounds which are structurally derived from pteroylglutamic acid or folic acid. Folic acid is a precursor of several important enzyme cofactors required for the synthesis of nucleic acids and in the metabolism of certain amino acids. Folic acid is synthesized only by plants and microorganisms. The neural tube defect may be caused by a deficiency of folic acid. All known commercial syntheses are based on the three component method process developed in the late 1940s. Industrial production of folic acid by genetically engineered microorganisms or extraction from natural sources is not yet economically viable. A brief review of the biosynthesis and the physiological role of folic acid is presented.