Author(s):
Dhruva Hegde, Pinki Verma
Email(s):
dhruvahegde650@gmail.com , vermapinki05@gmail.com
DOI:
10.52711/2231-5691.2026.00045 
Address:
Dhruva Hegde1, Pinki Verma2*
1Research Scholar, Department of Pharmacology, Aditya Bangalore Institute of Pharmacy Education & Research, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, 560064 Karnataka, India.
2Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Aditya Bangalore Institute of Pharmacy Education & Research, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, 560064 Karnataka, India.
*Corresponding Author
Published In:
Volume - 16,
Issue - 3,
Year - 2026
ABSTRACT:
Background: Folic acid (FA), a water-soluble B-vitamin (B9) plays a crucial role in one-carbon metabolism, serving as a key methyl donor for DNA methylation and nucleotide synthesis. Folic acid's nuclear actions are essential for healthy cell division, development, and the avoidance of illnesses like cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. The body uses folic acid to create new, healthy cells. Folic acid is necessary for everyone. It is crucial for ladies who might become pregnant. Pregnant women who take adequate folic acid can avoid serious birth defects in their unborn child's brain or spine. Recent data reveals its significant impact on epigenetic processes, specifically in modifying histone modifications and DNA methylation patterns, which in turn control gene expression. One epigenetic alteration essential to regular genome control and development is DNA methylation. One important source of the single carbon group needed to methylate DNA is the vitamin folate. A diet high in folic acid can affect DNA and histone methylation, changing the phenotype of future generations. Supplementing with maternal folic acid might change the developing foetus’s DNA methylation and gene expression, potentially increasing the foetus’s vulnerability to disease in later life. Humans with higher folic acid consumption have higher levels of unmetabolized folic acid and naturally occurring folates in their blood. The reciprocal nature of the interplay between folate and other B-vitamins and the genome in defining health and disease outcomes sets them apart from other nutrients. Conclusion: This review explores folic acid's involvement in development and disease prevention, the biochemical routes by which it affects epigenetic programming, and the consequences of folate shortage in abnormal epigenetic regulation. We also go over new developments in our knowledge of how maternal folate levels affect long-term health consequences and foetal programming.
Cite this article:
Dhruva Hegde, Pinki Verma. From Nutrient to Nucleus: How Folic Acid Influences Epigenetic Programming and Gene Expression. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2026; 16(3):306-2. doi: 10.52711/2231-5691.2026.00045
Cite(Electronic):
Dhruva Hegde, Pinki Verma. From Nutrient to Nucleus: How Folic Acid Influences Epigenetic Programming and Gene Expression. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2026; 16(3):306-2. doi: 10.52711/2231-5691.2026.00045 Available on: https://www.asianjpr.com/AbstractView.aspx?PID=2026-16-3-13
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