Retinol
Chemical compound / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Retinol, also called vitamin A1, is a fat-soluble vitamin in the vitamin A family that is found in food and used as a dietary supplement.[3] Retinol or other forms of vitamin A are needed for vision, cellular development, maintenance of skin and mucous membranes, immune function and reproductive development.[3] Dietary sources include fish, dairy products, and meat.[3] As a supplement it is used to treat and prevent vitamin A deficiency, especially that which results in xerophthalmia.[1] It is taken by mouth or by injection into a muscle.[1] As an ingredient in skin-care products, it is used to reduce wrinkles and other effects of skin aging.[4]
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AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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Routes of administration | By mouth, intramuscular[1] |
Drug class | vitamin |
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ECHA InfoCard | 100.000.621 |
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Formula | C20H30O |
Molar mass | 286.459 g·mol−1 |
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Melting point | 62–64 °C (144–147 °F) |
Boiling point | 137–138 °C (279–280 °F) (10−6 mm Hg) |
Solubility in water | 0.000017[2] mg/mL (20 °C) |
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Retinol at normal doses is well tolerated.[1] High doses may cause enlargement of the liver, dry skin, and hypervitaminosis A.[1][5] High doses during pregnancy may harm the fetus.[1] The body converts retinol to retinal and retinoic acid, through which it acts.[3]
Retinol was discovered in 1909, isolated in 1931, and first made in 1947.[6][7] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[8] Retinol is available as a generic medication and over the counter.[1] In 2021, vitamin A was the 298th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 500,000 prescriptions.[9][10]