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Published on: February 17, 2017
The discovery of thiamin
1Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94618, USA. kcarp @ berkeley.edu
Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism
|November 28, 2012
Summary
Thiamin deficiency, known as beriberi, was historically misattributed to environmental factors. Research revealed essential nutrients in brown rice prevent paralysis, leading to thiamin isolation and synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Medical History
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Beriberi, a disease linked to thiamin deficiency, was historically misdiagnosed as miasma-induced or infectious.
- Early research in the Dutch East Indies aimed to identify the cause of beriberi.
Observation:
- Christiaan Eijkman observed that chickens fed polished rice developed polyneuritis (leg paralysis).
- Chickens fed unpolished rice did not develop this condition, suggesting a dietary factor.
Findings:
- Gerrit Grijns correctly deduced that essential substances in food are vital for peripheral nerve health.
- Jansen and Donath isolated and crystallized a substance in 1926 that cured polyneuritis in pigeons.
- Robert Williams successfully synthesized thiamin in 1936.
Implications:
- This research led to the identification and synthesis of thiamin (vitamin B1).
- Understanding thiamin's role revolutionized the treatment and prevention of beriberi.
- Established the field of nutritional science and the importance of vitamins in preventing deficiency diseases.
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