Vitamin B 12, also known as cobalt amine, is the only vitamin containing metal elements. In nature, vitamin B12 is synthesized by microorganisms. Higher animals and plants cannot make vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is the only vitamin that requires the help of an intestinal secretion (endogenous factor) to be absorbed. Some people due to gastrointestinal abnormalities, lack of this endogenous factor, even if adequate dietary sources can also suffer from malignant anemia. There is basically no vitamin B12 in vegetable foods. It stays in the gut for a long time and takes about three hours (most water-soluble vitamins take only a few seconds) to be absorbed. Vitamin B 12's main physiological function is to participate in the production of bone marrow red blood cells, prevent malignant anemia, prevent brain nerve damage. Vitamin B 12 is one of the last B vitamins to be found so far. Vitamin B12 is a polycyclic compound containing 3 valent cobalt. Four reduced pyrrole rings are linked together to form a Golin macroring (similar to porphyrin), which is the core of vitamin B12 molecule. Therefore, compounds containing this ring are referred to as Golin-like. Vitamin B12 is a light red acicular crystal which is easily soluble in water and ethanol. It is most stable under the condition of weak acid pH 4.5 and 5.0, and decomposes in strong acid (pH < 2) or alkaline solution, which can be destroyed to some extent in the event of heat. But short time high temperature disinfection loss is small, encounter bright light or ultraviolet ray is easy to be destroyed. The loss of ordinary cooking process is about 30%.

Pangalan ng Produkto:	VITAMIN 12
CAS:	68-19-9
MF:	C63H88CoN14O14P
MW:	1355.37
EINECS:	200-680-0
Ang Vitamin B12, na kung tawagin ay maikling salita ng VB12, na kilala rin bilang cobalamin, at isa sa mga bitamina B, ay isang klase ng mga kumplikadong organikong compound na naglalaman ng klase ng cobalt Corrin, at naglalaman ng trivalent cobalt sa katulad na porphyrin Corrin na eroplano sa gitna ng singsing . Ito ang pinakamalaki at pinaka kumplikadong molekulang bitamina na natuklasan. Ito rin ang nag-iisang bitamina na may metal ion. Ang kristal ay pula, tinatawag din itong pulang bitamina. Ang halaman ay hindi naglalaman ng VB12, at hindi makagawa ng VB12. Ang atay ay ang pinakamahusay na mapagkukunan ng VB12, pagkatapos ay mula sa gatas, karne, itlog, isda at iba pa. Ang VB12 ay isang mahalagang coenzyme sa pagbubuo ng RNA at DNA. Ang kakulangan ng VB12 sa vivo ay maaaring maging sanhi ng mga pathological pagbabago sa sistema ng nerbiyos tulad ng peripheral nerve at gitnang sistema ng nerbiyos.