Introduction and objective: Acrylamide (AA) is a carcinogenic and genotoxic food contaminant occurring in carbohydrate-rich foods produced at high cooking temperatures. The aim of the study was to determine the importance of AA exposure with respect to traditional food and to assess the...

Folic acid is a naturally occurring pteridine, which was originally isolated from plants. Folic acid (pteroyl-glutamic acid) is composed of pteridine (6-methylptero), p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and glutamic acid. Folic acid (folacin) is a compound of major importance for the proper functioning of the human body. Its adequate supply is essential for the proper course of many biochemical processes in the body, including the process of neural tube closure in the fetus, DNA and amino acid synthesis, growth of red blood cells, and the function of the nervous system. Folic acid is a compound of a high sensitivity to physical and chemical factors, and its bioavailability is limited by interactions with multiple food components. Therefore, folate deficiency is one of the most common deficiencies. This paper presents the structure and characteristics of folic acid as a pteridine, it also discusses dietary sources of folate and the effects of its deficiency.