A group of water-soluble vitamins essential for metabolism and normal physiological functions. B6 vitamins, including pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine, are converted in vivo to pyridoxal phosphate, a cofactor necessary for the synthesis of amino acids, neurotransmitters, and sphingolipids. More than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism require vitamin B6 as a cofactor. Vitamin B6 is essential to red blood cell, nervous system, and immune systems functions and helps maintain normal blood glucose levels. Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. (NCI04)

A nutrient in the vitamin B complex that the body needs in small amounts to function and stay healthy. Vitamin B6 helps keep nerves and skin healthy, fight infections, keep blood sugar levels normal, produce red blood cells, and some enzymes work properly. Vitamin B6 is a group of related compounds (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine) found in cereals, beans, peas, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and bananas. It is water-soluble (can dissolve in water). Not enough vitamin B6 can cause mouth and tongue sores and nervous disorders. Vitamin B6 is being studied in the prevention of hand-foot syndrome (a disorder caused by certain anticancer drugs and marked by pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or redness of the hands or feet).

Group of water soluble B vitamins based on a polyhydroxy substituted pyridine structure, whose phosphate derivatives are important coenzymes in aminoacid metabolism.

(vitamin b-6) Class of water-soluble vitamins that are coenzymes in the metabolism of amino acids, glycogen, and sphingoid bases. (DRI)

(vitamin b 6) VITAMIN B 6 refers to several PICOLINES (especially PYRIDOXINE; PYRIDOXAL; & PYRIDOXAMINE) that are efficiently converted by the body to PYRIDOXAL PHOSPHATE which is a coenzyme for synthesis of amino acids, neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine), sphingolipids, and aminolevulinic acid. During transamination of amino acids, pyridoxal phosphate is transiently converted into PYRIDOXAMINE phosphate. Although pyridoxine and Vitamin B 6 are still frequently used as synonyms, especially by medical researchers, this practice is erroneous and sometimes misleading (EE Snell; Ann NY Acad Sci, vol 585 pg 1, 1990). Most of vitamin B6 is eventually degraded to PYRIDOXIC ACID and excreted in the urine.

Vitamin B6 is a complex of 6 vitamers: pyridoxal, pyridoxol, pyridoxamine, and their 5'-phosphate esters. Vitamin B6 deficiency causes blood, skin, and nerve changes.