Estimation of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) Concentration in selected fruit samples by volumetric and UV-Spectrophotometry methods

Ascorbic acid is an important water-soluble vitamin required for neurotransmitter synthesis. Humans cannot manufacture ascorbic acid because they lack the gulonolactone oxidase enzyme, forcing them to rely on fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is a six-carbon lactone which acts as an antioxidant in biological fluids and has therapeutic properties. The ascorbic acid content of ten (10) selected fruits was purchased from a local market across Ilorin metropolis and the concentration of ascorbic acid in these fruits was evaluated using volumetric and UV-spectroscopic methods. The findings are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Orange had the highest ascorbic acid concentration at 26.78 ± 2.19 mg/100g, while lemon had the lowest at 10.13 ± 1.54 mg/100g. When comparing the two methods, the spectroscopy method was found to be more effective than the titrimetric method for determining ascorbic acid levels. These findings clearly indicate that a wide range of fruits can be ingested to achieve the daily vitamin C requirements at a reasonable cost.