Vitamin B₅ or pantothenic acid  is an essential nutrient for humans. It is involved in the synthesis of coenzyme A (CoA), an important molecule in metabolic processes. It is also involved in the synthesis of many important substances, including fatty acids. Pantothenic acid is not synthesized in the human body and must be obtained from the diet. It is found in nearly all foods to some extent, with the highest amounts in whole grains, legumes, eggs, meat, and avocados.

Its name derives from the Greek "Παντοθένη," which means "everywhere," as it is widely distributed in foods.

The industrial synthesis process of pantothenic acid can be divided into several steps:

• Preparation of starting material: The starting compound for synthesis is beta-alanine. This can be obtained from natural sources, such as uric acid, or chemically synthesized.
• Formation of intermediate: Beta-alanine is converted into an intermediate called 4-phosphopantothenate. This reaction requires the addition of phosphate groups to beta-alanine.
• Conversion to pantothenate: The 4-phosphopantothenate intermediate is further transformed into pantothenate through a dephosphorylation process. This reaction involves the removal of phosphate groups from the intermediate.
• Purification: The obtained pantothenate is purified to remove any impurities present in the final product. This can be done using techniques such as filtration, crystallization, or chromatography.
• Formulation and packaging: Once purified, pantothenic acid can be formulated into various products, such as food or pharmaceutical supplements. Subsequently, it is packaged in suitable containers for distribution and sale.

What it is for and where

Medicine

Pantothenic acid  helps growth, regenerates the skin and helps supply energy to the body. It performs important functions in the adrenal glands and in the nervous system.

Vitamin B₅ is found in lentils, peas, cereals, soy, peanuts while in animals it is found in meat, eggs, liver, milk.

The cases of deficiency of this vitamin are very rare and coincide with strong states of malnutrition.

It is widely used in the healthcare sector and in cosmetic products.

Vitamin B₅ has been used, with some success, in the treatment of light acne (1), useful as a prevention of skin infections from pathogenic agents (2) and an adjunct in the treatment of hair loss (3).

Cosmetics

Antistatic agent. Static electricity build-up has a direct influence on products and causes electrostatic adsorption. The antistatic ingredient reduces static build-up and surface resistivity on the surface of the skin and hair.

Hair conditioning agent. A significant number of ingredients with specific and targeted purposes may co-exist in hair shampoo formulations: cleansers, conditioners, thickeners, matting agents, sequestering agents, fragrances, preservatives, special additives. However, the indispensable ingredients are the cleansers and conditioners as they are necessary and sufficient for hair cleansing and manageability. The others act as commercial and non-essential auxiliaries such as: appearance, fragrance, colouring, etc. Hair conditioning agents have the task of increasing shine, manageability and volume, and reducing static electricity, especially after treatments such as colouring, ironing, waving, drying and brushing. They are, in practice, dispersants that may contain cationic surfactants, thickeners, emollients, polymers. The typology of hair conditioning agents includes: intensive conditioners, instant conditioners, thickening conditioners, drying conditioners. They can perform their task generally accompanied by other different ingredients.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.

Pantothenic acid studies

• Molecular Formula: C₉H₁₇NO₅
• Linear Formula HOCH₂C(CH₃)₂CH(OH)CONHCH₂CH₂CO₂ ·1/2Ca
• Molecular Weight: 219.237 g/mol
• UNII: 19F5HK2737
• CAS: 79-83-4    3563-85-7
• EC Number: 201-229-0
• PubChem Substance ID 24898601
• MDL number MFCD00002766
• eCl@ss 34058012
• Beilstein Registry Number 3769272

Synonyms:

• Pantothenic acid
• D-pantothenic acid
• Chick antidermatitis factor
• (+)-Pantothenic acid
• (R)-pantothenate
• (+)-Pantothenate
• Pantothenic acid, D-
• D(+)-N-(2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutyryl)-beta-alanine
• BRN 1727064
• (R)-pantothenic acid
• UNII-19F5HK2737
• beta-Alanine, N-(2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)-, (R)-
• pantothenate
• Pantothenoic acid
• (D)-(+)-Pantothenic acid
• HSDB 1020
• (D,+)-N(alpha-gamma-Dihydroxy-beta,beta-dimethylbutyryl)-beta-alanine
• N-(2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutyryl)-beta-alanine
• CHEBI:46905
• delta-Pantothenate
• delta-Pantothenic acid
• pantothenate;vitamin B5
• AC1L1MWY
• D-(+)-pantothenic acid
• (D)-(+)-Pantothenate
• bmse000287
• SCHEMBL5436
• CHEMBL1594
• Pantothen Pharmaselect (TN)
• 4-04-00-02569 (Beilstein Handbook Reference)
• Pantothenic acid, D- (8CI)
• NCGC00346610-01
• 37138-77-5
• AJ-70550
• AK116516
• AN-24006
• SBI-0206933.P001
• AB2000603
• AX8126897
• LS-101244
• ST2412780
• FT-0080186
• FT-0625597
• SW220291-1
• C00864
• D07413
• N-[(2R)-2,4-DIHYDROXY-3,3-DIMETHYLBUTANOYL]-BETA-ALANINE
• 19F5HK2737
• DTXSID9023417
• CTK4H7797
• GHOKWGTUZJEAQD-ZETCQYMHSA-N
• HMS2090P08
• HMS3656K08
• HY-B0430
• N-[(2R)-2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl]-beta-alanine
• ZINC5356910
• 2466AC
• AKOS016010488
• (R)-3-(2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutanamido)propanoic acid
• (R)-N-(2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)-beta-alanine
• 3-[[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutanoyl]amino]propanoic acid
• PAU
• GTPL4668
• CS-2536
• D(+)-N-(2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutyryl)-b-alanine
• 3-[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutanamido]propanoic acid
• 450B5472-A689-4BCA-9BC1-58691B72D00F
• b-Alanine,N-[(2S)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl]-
• UNII-66Y94D1203 component GHOKWGTUZJEAQD-ZETCQYMHSA-N
• 3-((R)-2,4-Dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-butyrylamino)-propionic acid
• 3-[[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-butanoyl]amino]propanoic acid
• 3-[[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-butanoyl]amino]propionic acid
• beta-Alanine, N-[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl]-
• 3-[[(2R)-3,3-dimethyl-2,4-bis(oxidanyl)butanoyl]amino]propanoic acid
• b-Alanine, N-[(2R)-2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl]- (9CI)
• beta-Alanine, N-(2,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobutyl)-, (R)- (9CI)

References____________________________________________

(1) Yang M, Moclair B, Hatcher V, Kaminetsky J, Mekas M, Chapas A, Capodice J. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of a novel pantothenic Acid-based dietary supplement in subjects with mild to moderate facial acne. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2014 Jun;4(1):93-101. doi: 10.1007/s13555-014-0052-3. 

(2) Chohnan S, Murase M, Kurikawa K, Higashi K, Ogata Y. Antimicrobial activity of pantothenol against staphylococci possessing a prokaryotic type II pantothenate kinase. Microbes Environ. 2014;29(2):224-6. 

(3) Davis MG1, Thomas JH, van de Velde S, Boissy Y, Dawson TL Jr, Iveson R, Sutton K. Br  A novel cosmetic approach to treat thinning hair.  Dermatol. 2011 Dec;165 Suppl 3:24-30. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10633.x.