Chapter 10: Thiamine

Thiamine (vitamin B1) was the first vitamin characterized and its discovery was at the origin of the concept of vitamin. The main form of thiamine is thiamine diphosphate (ThDP), an essential coenzyme in cell metabolism. Thiamine deficiency mainly affects the nervous and cardiovascular systems and causes two classical diseases, beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (anterograde amnesia resulting from brain lesions in alcoholics). Considering the large spectrum of manifestations of beriberi (wet, dry, infantile) and Wernicke’s encephalopathy, it was recently proposed to replace the archaic nomenclature by the umbrella term thiamine deficiency disorders (TDDs). In this chapter we discuss the role of thiamine derivatives, thiamine dietary requirements, thiamine transport mechanisms and metabolism. Current research interests are focused on the metabolism and role of thiamine derivatives and the biochemical and pathophysiological mechanisms by which thiamine deficiency induces specific brain lesions and may be involved in other disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.