Folic acid supplementation

"Folic acid supplementation" refers to the administration of synthetic folic acid—an exogenous form of vitamin B9—to increase systemic availability of this essential nutrient. Folic acid is required for nucleoprotein synthesis and maintenance of normal erythropoiesis; it acts as a coenzyme in one-carbon transfer reactions necessary for DNA/RNA synthesis and amino acids metabolism. Supplementation is most commonly used to prevent neural tube defects during pregnancy, treat certain types of megaloblastic anemia due to folate deficiency, and lower elevated homocysteine concentrations associated with cardiovascular risk. It does not refer to a specific molecular target such as an enzyme or receptor; rather, it describes an intervention that increases substrate availability for several enzymes involved in the folate metabolic pathway—including dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and others. Therefore, "folic acid supplementation" should not be considered a canonical drug target. The entry "Folic acid supplementation" is **not** itself a molecule/receptor/target but rather describes an intervention strategy using the compound *folic acid*. The actual targets relevant to its biological effects are enzymes such as dihydrofolate reductase or transporters like the proton-coupled folate transporter. For structured data on drug targets related specifically to *folic acid*, see entries under those protein names instead.

Other names

Folic acid supplementationFolic acid supplementFolate supplementationVitamin B9 supplementation

*Not applicable as "folic acid supplementation" is not a molecular target, but the mechanism of action for folic acid itself includes: - Serves as a coenzyme in one-carbon transfer reactions essential for DNA and RNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism. - Reduces homocysteine levels by remethylation to methionine with vitamin B12 as cofactor.