What is "riboflavin"

growth-promoting substance known as vitamin B2, 1935, from German Riboflavin (1935), from comb. form of ribose + flavin, from Latin flavus "yellow" (see blue (1)); so called from its color. Also sometimes known as lactoflavine, as it is found in milk.

n. (context vitamin English) Yellow or orange-yellow water-soluble compound, a member of the vitamin B complex, that acts as a growth-promoting factor in humans and other animals.

n. a B vitamin that prevents skin lesions and weight loss [syn: vitamin B2, vitamin G, lactoflavin, ovoflavin, hepatoflavin]

Riboflavin (vitamin B) is part of the vitamin B group. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN and as such required for a variety of flavoprotein enzyme reactions including activation of other vitamins. It was formerly known as vitamin G.

As a chemical compound, riboflavin is a yellow-orange solid substance with poor solubility in water compared to other B vitamins. Visually, it imparts color to vitamin supplements (and bright yellow color to the urine of persons taking a lot of it).

The name "riboflavin" (often abbreviated to Rbf or RBF) comes from " ribose" (the sugar whose reduced form, ribitol, forms part of its structure) and " flavin", the ring-moiety which imparts the yellow color to the oxidized molecule (from Latin flavus, "yellow"). The reduced form, which occurs in metabolism along with the oxidized form, is colorless.