pantothenic acid, a vitamin of the B complex present in all living tissues, almost entirely in the form of a coenzyme A (CoA). This coenzyme has many metabolic roles in the cell, and a lack of pantothenic acid can lead to depressed metabolism of both carbohydrates and fats. The daily requirement for this vitamin has not been established and no definite deficiency syndrome has been recognized in humans, perhaps due to its wide occurrence in almost all foods.
