Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) (B2)

Riboflavin, or Vitamin B2, is a crucial water-soluble micronutrient that serves as the primary precursor for the essential coenzymes flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 2022). These coenzymes are integral to numerous redox reactions across various metabolic pathways, including the mitochondrial electron transport chain, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and fatty acid oxidation (StatPearls, 2023). Beyond energy production, riboflavin is necessary for the conversion of other B vitamins into their active forms and contributes to the body's antioxidant defense system by serving as a cofactor for glutathione reductase (PubChem, CID 493570). Clinically, riboflavin is utilized to address nutritional deficiencies and as a prophylactic treatment for migraines, likely due to its role in enhancing mitochondrial energy metabolism (PubMed, PMID 26780873). It is also a critical therapeutic agent for rare genetic disorders involving riboflavin transporters or flavin-dependent enzymes, such as Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (Wikipedia, 2024).

Other names

Vitamin B2Lactoflavin7,8-dimethyl-10-(D-ribo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxypentyl)isoalloxazineE101

Riboflavin is converted into the coenzymes flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) by riboflavin kinase and FAD synthetase. These cofactors are essential for the activity of flavoproteins involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, fatty acid beta-oxidation, and the citric acid cycle.