History of pantothenic acid

Pantothenic ACID as discovered during investigations of an anti-dermatitis growth factor for yeast and certain bacteria by Roger J. Williams in 1933. Roger J. Williams was a leading American organic chemist at that time.

The name pantothenic acid, given to the active substance by Williams and his coworkers in 1933, indicated its wide spread occurrence in nature.

Pantothenic acid derives its name from Greek word ‘Pantothen’ which means ‘Everywhere’.

Williams’ established the structure of the vitamin in 1940.

Before that in 1939 Elvehjem and Jukes showed that pantothenic acid was required for growth and prevented dermatitis in chickens.

The total synthesis of the structure was first achieved by the US Merck group in 1940.

However, it drew interest only after 1950 when F. Lipmann showed that pantothenic acid was part of coenzyme A, required for biological acetylation reactions.
History of pantothenic acid