International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 06 | Jun 2023
p-ISSN: 2395-0072
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A Comparative Analysis of Variation in Vitamin C Content Of Kinnow Mandarin (Citrus Reticulata) and Guava (Psidium Guajava) as a Function Of Days Of Storage at Room Temperature Laveena Gulabchandani1, Taruna Sethi2 1Lecturer, Department of Chemistry, Sophia Girls’ College (Autonomous), Ajmer, Rajasthan, India 2Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Sophia Girls’ College (Autonomous), Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
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Abstract - This study depicts an analysis of Vitamin C
enzyme L- gulono lactone oxidase required for the biosynthesis of Vitamin C [2]. As a result of this, human cells cannot perform the last step of synthesis of Vitamin C i.e., formation of ascorbic acid from L- gulono g- lactone catalyzed by enzyme L- gulono lactone oxidase [3]. Thus, the only source of Vitamin C in humans is the food we eat. According to Office of Dietary Supplements, the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of vitamin C is around 90 mg/day for an adult male and 75 mg/day for an adult woman which increases to 85 mg/day for a pregnant woman and to 120 mg/day for a woman during lactation [4]. The daily intake of Vitamin C increases by around 35 mg/day for smokers as vitamin C gets oxidized by free radicals and oxygen species produced by cigarette smoking [5,6].
content of two fruits, namely a citrus fruit Kinnow Mandarin and a non-citrus fruit Guava grown at Sophia Girls’ College (Autonomous), Ajmer. Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a very essential nutrient for human body which cannot be synthesized but can be obtained only from the food we eat. Thus, estimation of Vitamin C content and the effect of storage duration becomes significant. In this investigation, ascorbic acid content was estimated in juices extracted from freshly plucked fruits and in the stored fruits after an interval of 7 and 14 days. The analysis of the data shows that kinnow fruits show a decrease in Vitamin C content from 36.45 mg/100mL to 34.87 mg/100 mL after storage of 7 days which reduces to 24.83 mg/100 mL after 14 days of storage while guava on the other hand shows an increase in Vitamin C content from 100.91 mg/100 mL in fresh fruit sample to 127.86 mg/100 mL in after 7 days followed by a decrease to 119.40 mg/100 mL after 14 days of storage due to ripening effect, but it reached near the point of rottening decreasing its shelf life. Thus, it can be concluded that consuming fruits when fresh is best.
Vitamin C, chemically known as L- Ascorbic Acid (C6H8O6) is a white or slightly yellow odourless crystalline powder which is highly soluble in water and performs numerous biochemical and physiological functions in human body. It functions as an antioxidant by scavenging and neutralizing the most of the biologically active and harmful radicals such as superoxide, hydroperoxyl, aqueous peroxyl radicals, NO2, nitroxide radicals etc. [7] thus preventing humans from a condition known as oxidative stress [8] which is caused by increased number of free radicals. Moreover, ascorbic acid is a cofactor involved in the synthesis of Carnitine, Collagen and Neurotransmitters catalysed by hydroxylases and monooxygenase enzymes [8 -11]. It also behaves as a catalyst in amidation reactions of peptide hormones [12] oxytocin, cholecystokinin, α- melanotropin and vasopressin at their maximum efficiency [11].
Key Words: Vitamin C, Guava, Kinnow, Redox titration, Ascorbic acid
1.INTRODUCTION Fruits and Vegetables constitute a very important part of human diet. They are rich sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, A and E, Mg, Zn, Folic acid as well as phytochemicals especially the antioxidants. A diet containing a high number of fruits and vegetables helps in lowering blood pressure, minimizes the risk of heart disease and stroke, assists in prevention of some types of cancer, decreases the risk of various problems concerning with eyes and digestive system and show a positive effect on the blood sugar level [1].
Recently many Investigations have proved that Vitamin C reduces the risk of breast, lungs, rectum, colon as well as mouth cancers [2, 13 - 14]. In addition to this, ascorbic acid helps prevention of Hypercholesterolemia, enhances dietary absorption of non-heme iron [10-12, 15-17], improves immunity during cold infections, advantageous in cardiovascular diseases [12, 18] and cataracts [12].
Vitamins are one of the most important constituents of fruits and vegetables that are vital for humans to maintain a healthy diet and form a necessary part of various biochemical and physiological processes taking place in the body. Some of the vitamins like Vitamin D, K, Niacin, Biotin can be synthesized within human body while some others cannot be synthesized, one of which is Vitamin C. This is because of the mutation in the gene which codes for the
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Deficiency of Vitamin C causes anaemia, bleeding gums, poor wound healing, capillary haemorrhage, atherosclerotic plagues, muscle degeneration, and neurotic disturbances [8], tooth loss, joint pains, bone and connective tissue disorders, fatigue and lethargy, depression and mood changes [9]. Its
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