What is the difference between vitamin A acetate and vitamin A？

What is the difference between vitamin A acetate and vitamin A？

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, an organic compound with the chemical formula C20H30O. It is stable to heat, acid, and alkali, and is easily oxidized. Ultraviolet radiation can promote its oxidative damage. Vitamin A includes A1 and A2, with A1 being retinol. Vitamin A2, also known as 3-dehydroretinol, has a physiological activity that is 40% of that of vitamin A1.

Vitamin A has various physiological functions such as promoting growth and reproduction, maintaining normal secretion of bones, epithelial tissues, vision, and mucosal epithelium. Vitamin A and its analogues have the effect of preventing precancerous lesions. When lacking, it manifests as growth retardation, decreased dark adaptation ability, and the formation of night blindness. Due to dryness, desquamation, excessive keratinization, and reduced secretion of lacrimal glands in the epidermis and mucosal epithelial cells, dry eye disease can occur, and in severe cases, corneal softening, perforation, and blindness can occur. Respiratory epithelial cells keratinize and lose cilia, reducing resistance and making them susceptible to infection. Foods that are high in vitamin A include poultry and animal liver, egg yolks, and milk powder. Carotenoids can be converted into vitamin A in the small intestine mucosa. Red yellow and dark green vegetables, as well as fruits, are high in carotenoids.

The difference between vitamin A acetate and vitamin A is relatively small, with each gram of vitamin A containing more than 2.7 million units of vitamin A acetate. The functions of the two are similar, but the properties of vitamin A acetate are relatively stable.

Vitamin A acetate is a light yellow parallelogram block shaped crystal or yellow crystalline powder, soluble in anhydrous ethanol, methanol, chloroform, ether, oil, fat, and soluble in refined vegetable oil as a brown transparent liquid. It is easily damaged by ultraviolet light or high temperature and is produced by the reaction of vitamin A with acetyl chloride, which is not easy to purify. It is an essential ingredient for promoting human growth, and when lacking, it can cause skin roughness, dry eye inflammation, night blindness, and other symptoms.

Vitamin A is a light yellow oily substance at room temperature, easily soluble in fat and oil, insoluble in water. It is an oil solution made by crystallization of vitamin A acetate and refining vegetable oil. Its characteristic is a light yellow oil solution, or a mixture of crystals and oil. Easy to oxidize in air, prone to spoilage upon exposure to light, and can be mixed with chloroform, ether, and other substances at will.

Vitamin A can maintain the normal function of the skin, conjunctiva, and cornea. It can also enhance the sensitivity of the retina and have a strong effect on unsaturated fatty acids during the oxidation process in the body. Generally, it can be used according to medical advice to treat common diseases such as acne, psoriasis, ichthyosis, lichen planus, pityriasis hirsuta, etc.