Folic acid

Folic acid is an important B group water-soluble vitamin, which was separated from spinach in 1941. It is also called pteroylglutamic acid because of its rich content in green leaves. There are several forms in nature, and the parent compound is composed of pteridine, p-aminobenzoic acid and glutamic acid. Folic acid contains one or more glutamyl groups. Most naturally occurring folic acid is in the form of polyglutamic acid. The bioactive form of folic acid is tetrahydrofolate.