What are the properties of Vitamin D2 in supplements?

Ergocalciferol

Vitamin D2, a fat-soluble vitamin important for many biochemical processes including the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. In vivo, ergocalciferol is formed after sun (ultraviolet) irradiation of plant-derived ergosterol, another form of vitamin D. Ergocalciferol is the form of vitamin D usually found in vitamin supplements. (NCI04) Read more about Ergocalciferol on NCI Thesaurus: C29029.

Ergocalciferol

Ergocalciferol is an inactivated vitamin D analog. It is a form of vitamin synthesized by some plants in the presence of UVB light. The production of ergocalciferol was impulsed by the identification of dietary deficiency, more specifically vitamin D, as the main causative agent for rickets. Impulsed by this research, ergocalciferol was isolated for the first time from yeast in 1931 and its structure was elucidated in 1932. Ergocalciferol is considered the first vitamin D analog and it differentiates from cholecalciferol in the presence of a double bond between C22 and C23 and the presence of a methyl group at C24. These modifications reduce the affinity of ergocalciferol to vitamin D binding protein which derives in faster clearance, limits its activation and alters its catabolism. The first approved product containing ergocalciferol under the FDA records was developed by US Pharm Holdings and FDA approved in 1941. Read more about Ergocalciferol on DrugBank: DB00153.

Ergocalciferol

Ergocalciferol is a form of Vitamin D, also called vitamin D2. It is created from viosterol, which in turn is created when ultraviolet light activates ergosterol. Ergocalciferol is used in the treatment of hypcalcemia and in dialysis-dependent renal failure. Ergoalcifediol is a fat soluble steroid hormone precursor of vitamin D that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. Vitamin D2 is the form of vitamin D most commonly added to foods and nutritional supplements. Vitamin D2 must be transformed (hydroxylated) into one of two active forms via the liver or kidney. Once transformed, it binds to the vitamin D receptor that then leads to a variety of regulatory roles. Read more about Ergocalciferol on HMDB: HMDB0000900.