ON THE BIOLOGICAL ROLE OF CHOLINE IN HUMAN AND HIGHER ANIMAL ORGANISMS (A LITERATURE REVIEW)

Purpose. To provide the reader a detailed literature review regarding the history of the discovery of choline, then the history of further research on its biological role in human and higher animal organisms. Describe in detail the mechanisms of choline biosynthesis, absorption, transport and metabolism in human and higher animals, the variety of physiological functions performed by the choline itself and by its derivatives. Describe the various symptoms of dietary choline deficiency. Provide to the reader the data regarding the US and EU minimum recommended dietary intake of choline. Methodology. We began our work by studying the literature on the history of medicine, as well as encyclopedic literature on vitamins and vitamin-like compounds, and books on biochemistry. Then we used the search engines PubMed and ScienceDirect to find relevant articles discussing the biological role of choline, its biosynthesis, absorption, transport, and symptoms of its deficiency. We then used materials from the US National Academy of Medicine and the European Food Safety Agency’s RDA for choline from food. Results. The data we found and presented in this literature review on the biological role of choline in humans and higher animals convincingly indicate the important role of sufficient consumption of choline in the daily diet for maintaining overall health. Sufficient dietary choline is needed to maintain the normal state of the skin and its appendages, articular cartilage, skeletal muscles, to support the normal functioning of the liver and the endocrine system (especially the cortex and the medulla of the adrenal glands, and the gonads), to prevent stone formation in bile, to improve memory and cognitive functioning, to reduce blood plasma atherogenicity and improve its lipid profile, to delay the development of atherosclerosis. Practical implications. The results we presented there deserve the widest application in various fields of both human medicine and veterinary medicine.