Tetrahydrofolic acid

Tetrahydrofolic acid (also known as tetrahydrofolate or THFA) is a biologically active derivative of folic acid and serves as the main active metabolite of dietary folate. It is produced from dihydrofolic acid by the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase and can be further converted into 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate by serine hydroxymethyltransferase. Tetrahydrofolic acid functions as a coenzyme in numerous metabolic reactions, particularly those involved in the synthesis of amino acids and nucleic acids. It acts as a carrier for single-carbon groups (such as methyl, methylene, formyl), which are essential for DNA synthesis and other biosynthetic processes. Deficiency in tetrahydrofolic acid can lead to impaired cell division and megaloblastic anemia. Clinically, it is used for nutritional supplementation to treat or prevent folate deficiency states such as megaloblastic anemia and during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects[1][2][3][5][8].

Other names

TetrahydrofolateTHFA