Cyanocobalamin

Cyanocobalamin is a highly complex, essential vitamin, owing its name to the fact that it contains the mineral, cobalt. This vitamin is produced naturally by bacteria, and is necessary for DNA synthesis and cellular energy production. In the cobalamins, cobalt normally exists in the trivalent state, Co(III). However, under reducing conditions, the cobalt centre is reduced to Co(II) or even Co(I), which are usually denoted as B12r and B12s, for reduced and super reduced, respectively.