Cholecalciferol vs Ergocalciferol: what is the difference?
Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3, made by human skin and found in fish, while ergocalciferol is vitamin D2 from fungi, and D3 holds blood levels better.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share. Aligned; 11 atoms differ, too many to mark as one group.
- Structural similaritycomputedRDKit Morgan/Tanimoto0.67 of 1, a Morgan fingerprint Tanimoto coefficient. It measures shape, not effect.
Side by side
| Cholecalciferol | Ergocalciferol | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 384.6 g/molC27H44O | 396.6 g/molC28H44O |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 1 | 1 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists | Not on our lists |
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Vitamins | Vitamins |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Nutrient | Nutrient |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Alcohols | Alcohols |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 5280795 (Cholecalciferol) and 5280793 (Ergocalciferol).
In more detail
They differ in a side chain, C27H44O against C28H44O. D3 is what human skin makes when ultraviolet B light hits 7-dehydrocholesterol, and it is also what comes from fish and lanolin. D2 is the fungal and plant version, made when the same light hits ergosterol, which is why ultraviolet-treated mushrooms are sold as vitamin D enhanced. Both are converted by the liver and kidney into the active hormone, but D3 raises and holds blood levels of the storage form more effectively than D2 does, which is the practical reason many supplements now use D3. D2 remains the vegan option and the historical form used to fortify milk.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Cholecalciferol and Ergocalciferol?
- Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3, made by human skin and found in fish, while ergocalciferol is vitamin D2 from fungi, and D3 holds blood levels better.
- Is Cholecalciferol bigger than Ergocalciferol?
- Ergocalciferol is the heavier molecule, 396.6 g/mol against 384.6 g/mol for Cholecalciferol. Cholecalciferol is C27H44O and Ergocalciferol is C28H44O.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.