The key difference between retinoid and retinol is that retinoid is a group of different chemical compounds, whereas retinol is vitamin A, which is a member of the retinoid group.
Retinoids are a group of compounds that are closely related to the vitamin A structure. Therefore, we can indicate retinoids as vitamers of vitamin A. Retinol is a member of the retinoid group.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Retinoid
3. What is Retinol
4. Side by Side Comparison – Retinoid vs Retinol in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Retinoid?
Retinoids are a group of organic compounds that can be recognized as vitamers of vitamin A. This means retinoids are chemically related to the vitamin A molecule. Therefore, there are many applications of retinoids in the field of medicine as regulating agents for epithelial cell growth. In addition, there are many important roles for retinoids in our body, including their role in vision, regulation of cell proliferation, cell differentiation regulation, growth of bone tissues, immune function, activation of tumour suppression, etc.
We can recognize three generations of retinoids; the first generation includes retinol, tretinoin, while the second generation includes etretinate, and the third generation includes adapalene, bexarotene, etc.
Figure 01: Different Retinoids
When considering the basic structure of retinoid, it has a cyclic end group, a polyene side chain and a polar end group. A conjugated system is formed from the altering C=C bonds present in the polyene side chain. The alternations in the side chain of retinoid main structure cause the formation of different retinoid molecules.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is another name for vitamin A1. It is a major vitamin we can find in many foods. Moreover, we can use it as a dietary supplement to prevent vitamin A deficiency. The route of administration of this vitamin is via the mouth. The chemical formula of this compound is C20H30O, and the molar mass is 286.45 g/mol. There are many medical uses of this compound as a drug.
Figure 02: The Chemical Structure of Retinol
In addition to the treatment of vitamin A deficiency, we can use this as a drug to prevent further issues in those who have measles. However, there are some side effects of this compound as well; high doses can cause an enlarged liver, dry skin and hypervitaminosis A. During pregnancy, high doses may harm the baby. Nevertheless, this drug has many useful effects in our body; we need it for better eyesight, for the maintenance of the skin, etc.
What is the Difference Between Retinoid and Retinol?
Retinoids are a group of compounds that are closely related to the vitamin A structure. Therefore, we can indicate the retinoids as vitamers of vitamin A. Retinol is a member of the retinoid group. Thus, the key difference between retinoid and retinol is that retinoid is a group of different chemical compounds, whereas retinol is vitamin A, which is a member of the retinoid group.
The following table summarizes the difference between retinoid and retinol.
Summary – Retinoid vs Retinol
Retinoids are a group of compounds that are closely related to the vitamin A structure. Therefore, we can indicate the retinoids as vitamers of vitamin A. Retinol is a member of the retinoid group. Thus, the key difference between retinoid and retinol is that retinoid is a group of different chemical compounds, whereas retinol is vitamin A, which is a member of the retinoid group.
Reference:
1. “Retinoid.” Retinoid – an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Retinoids skeletal formulae” By Vaccinationist – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “All-trans-Retinol2” By NEUROtiker (talk) – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia