2013-14
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INTRODUCTION
Vitamins are accessory dietary factors required for healthy life in addition to the usual diet of fats. carbohydrates, proteins and mineral salts. The word Vitamin' comes from the Latin word VITA' meaning 'LIFE'. Subsequently the name 'VITAMIN' was coined by FUNK in 1911 as vitamine, who believed that the anti-beriberi factor (thiamine) was an amine essential to the maintenance of life. Although subsequent discoveries showed that not all vitamins are amines, the historical name has been retained, however without the terminal `e'. Vitamins are classified according to their solubility characteristic into two groups namely the Fat Soluble vitamins [A, D, E &K] and the Water Soluble Vitamins [B-complex & C]. A normal individual ingesting a well balanced diet gets adequate supply of these vitamins and needs no supplement. However diseases caused by primary or dietary deficiency result from inadequate quantities of vitamins in the diet. Disease such as 'scurvy' caused by deficiency in 'Ascorbic Acid' is alleviated rapidly by improved diets or supplementary vitamin therapy. Ascorbic acid is the chemical name for Vitamin C. The minimum daily requirement of vitamin C to prevent deficiency disease such as Scurvy and disorders is 60 mg/ adult. Vitamins in excess of the body's ability to utilize them, are generally excreted, but some untoward effect of 'HYPER VITAMINOSIS' have been shown to occur. But these effects are primarily a function of fat-soluble vitamin, which are more readily stored in the body. Vitamin A causing skin Lesions and Irritability Vitamin D causing calcification of soft tissues Vitamin E causing increased clotting in patients of Anti-Coagulent therapy.
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BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES
The biological role of vitamin C is extensive. It has been found to have effects upon germination and root growth. Spraying with ascorbic acid has been found to be effective in the protection of plants against the worst effects of ozone in the atmosphere, produced by photolytic action on polluted air, particularly in big cities. Fish are unable to synthesize ascorbic acid and this results in the "Broken Back Syndrome". Large amounts of ascorbic acid are used in Aquaculture. When Ascorbic Acid is used in the food industry it increases its nutrient value, improves the taste of fruit drinks and prevents oxidation as a preservative. The addition of ascorbic acid to meat, improves its colour, flavor and odour, as well as lowering the amounts of nitrite which has to be used in curbing. As a side effect it has been found that ascorbic alone in co-operation with Tocopherol when used in meat curing, inhibits the formation of nitroso compounds which are believed to be carcinogenic, while not interfering significantly with the inhibition by nitrite of a very dangerous micro organism "Clostridium botulinum". L-ascorbic Acid is very widely used in bread baking, where it is present as a "Flour Improver". L-Ascorbic Acid has also found a place in industrial processes like polymerization reaction, in photographic developing and printing, in metal technology and even in intravaginal contraceptives.
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HEART DISEASE
Results of scientific studies on whether vitamin C is helpful for preventing heart attack or stroke are mixed. Vitamin C doesn't lower cholesterol levels or reduce the overall risk of heart attack, but evidence suggests that it may help protect arteries against damage. Some studies -- though not all -- suggest that vitamin C, acting as an antioxidant, can slow down the progression of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It helps prevent damage to LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which then builds up as plaque in the arteries and can cause heart attack or stroke. Other studies suggest that vitamin C may help keep arteries flexible. In addition, people who have low levels of vitamin C may be more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease, all potential results of having atherosclerosis. Peripheral artery disease is the term used to describe atherosclerosis of the blood vessels to the legs. This can lead to pain when walking, known as intermittent claudication. But there is no evidence that taking vitamin C supplements will help. The best thing to do is get enough vitamin C through your diet. That way, you also get the benefit of other antioxidants and nutrients contained in food. If you have low levels of vitamin C and have trouble getting enough through the foods you eat, ask your doctor about taking a supplement.
CANCER
Results of many population based studies (evaluating groups of people over time) suggest that eating foods rich in vitamin C may be associated with lower rates of cancer, including skin cancer, cervical dysplasia (changes to the cervix which may be cancerous or precancerous, picked up by pap smear), and, possibly, breast cancer. But these foods also contain many beneficial nutrients and antioxidants, not only vitamin C, so it's impossible to say for certain that vitamin C is protecting against cancer. Taking vitamin C supplements, on the other hand, has not been shown to have any helpful effect. In addition, there is no evidence that taking large doses of vitamin C once diagnosed with cancer will help your treatment. Moreover, some doctors are concerned that large doses of antioxidants from supplements could interfere with chemotherapy medications. More research is needed. If you are undergoing chemotherapy, talk to your doctor before taking vitamin C or any supplement.
OSTEOARTHRITIS
Vitamin C is essential for the body to make collagen, which is a part of normal cartilage. Cartilage is destroyed in osteoarthritis (OA), putting pressure on bones and joints. In addition, some researchers think free radicals -- molecules produced by the body that can damage cells and DNA -- may also be involved in the destruction of cartilage. Antioxidants such as vitamin C appear to limit the damage caused by free radicals. However, that said, no evidence suggests that taking vitamin C supplements will help
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PRE-ECLAMPSIA
Some studies suggest that taking vitamin C along with vitamin E may help prevent pre-eclampsia in women who are at high risk. Pre-eclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure and too much protein in the urine, is a common cause of premature births. Not all studies agree, however.
ASTHMA
Studies are mixed when it comes to the effect of vitamin C on asthma. Some show that low levels of vitamin C are more common in people with asthma, leading some researchers to think that low levels of vitamin C might increase the risk for this condition. Other studies seem to show that vitamin C may help reduce symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.
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Boosting immune system function Maintaining healthy gums Improving vision for those with uveitis (an inflammation of the middle part of the eye) Treating allergy-related conditions, such as asthma, eczema, and hay fever (called allergic rhinitis) Reducing effects of sun exposure, such as sunburn or redness (called erythema) Alleviating dry mouth, particularly from antidepressant medications (a common side effect from these drugs) Healing burns and wounds
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MAINTENANCE OF HEALTH
The recommended daily dietary allowances [ RAD's ] over the past few decades have ranged from a little as 30 mg per day to thousand times as much, depending on the changing individual, national and international opinion. The quantitative analysis of vitamin is particularly useful in the evaluation of human and animal nutrition. The development of practical methods for the assay of vitamins eg. In blood and urine or in the organs of experimental animals is of interest in medicine. Finally the increase use of vitamin in the pharmaceutical and food stuff industries, has given a further stimuli to the perfection and wider employment methods for their determination in the analytical laboratories of universities, Industries and Government establishments. There are a no of procedure available for the determination of Vitamins. These comprise physical, chemical, bio-chemical, biological and quantitative determinations. The choice of the methods must always be determined by the individual properties and composition of the material under examination. So, there is a continuing interest in the development of newer analytical methods for the analysis of vitamin. One of the most fruitful developments in the biological field has been the study of methods for measuring the potency of vitamins. Biological, bio-chemical and microbial assays procedures are highly selective and sensitive and seldom require sample separation. The biological method which has been used as a primary tool in the discovery of the vitamin still finds application for quantitative vitamin assays and for the evaluation and standardization of other methods. The primary requirements of a biological method is to feed a group of comparable animals a special diet which is deficient only in the vitamin under study and is otherwise well balanced with respect to other components. The biological methods for the
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GENERAL PROPERTIES
The water soluble vitamin- ascorbic acid has been chosen for the present study and its important general properties are given below in table.
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CHEMISTRY
The most important and prominent chemical property of ascorbic acid (L-threo- 2, 3, 4 ,5 ,6-pentahydroxy-2-hexanoic acid-4- lactone ) is its strong reducing property. This is due to the liberation of hydrogen atom from the ene-diol-hydroxyl group, the ascorbic acid being oxidized to dehydroascorbic acid (eg. By halogens in acidic or neutral solutions. This reaction is readily reversed by reducing agents in vitro (eg. By (H2S)) and invivo( eg. By HS Compounds such as gluthathione). In alkaline, neutral or acidic solutions ( above ph 5) dehydroascorbic acid undergoes hydrolysis, with the splitting of the lactone ring to form diketoglutonoic acid which is biologically inactive. This reaction is irreversible invivo but can be reversed invitro by HI. Diketoglutonoic acid undergoes further irreversible oxidation to oxalic acid and L-threonic acid. These reactions are represented in the following figures.
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EFFECT OF DILUTION
The presence of chelating agents, reduces the oxidation of Ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid reacts with dioxygen in the presence of metals, particularly transition metals. Hence vitamin solution should not be stored in copper containers. Addition of EDTA prevents oxidation of Ascorbic acid by reacting with these metals.
The above reaction has been used as basis for estimation of ascorbic acid.
EFFECT OF STORAGE
The medium of storage and temperature of storage also affects the ascorbic acid content in food stuff. For example, fruits such as cherries and Peaches when stored
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MATERIALS REQUIRED
1. 500 ml measuring cylinder 2. 25 ml measuring cylinder 3. 100 ml coloured bottle 4. 100 ml colourless bottle 5. 100 ml standard flask 6. 500 ml standard flask 7. 500 ml beaker 8. 20 pipette 9. conical flask 10. burette 11. mortar and pestle.
CHEMICALS REQUIRED
I. II. III. IV. Fruit juice samples phenolphthalein Distilled water NaOH(0.1N) solution.
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PREPARATION OF SOLUTIONS
1) SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION Four grams of NaOH crystals were weighed into a standard flask. The solution was then made to one liter by adding water. The resulting solution was that of 0.1 N NaOH.
PROCEDURE
INDICATOR
Phenophthalein is used as the indicator for the titrations. End point is taken as the point of change of clour from colourless to pink.
INITIAL PREPARATIONS
Take a burette fitted with a glass top and wash it with distilled water and then rinse it with Sodium Hydroxide. Now clamp it to the burette stand. Using a funnel fill it with NaOH. The initial reading is taken as the one against meniscus. The pipette is rinsed with distilled water and 20cc of juice is pipetted out.
EXPERIMENT 1:
20 ml of the juice is taken in a conical flask and 0.1 N NaOH is taken in the burette and the titration was carried out till the end point was reached.
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EXPERIMENT 4(ORANGE-A):
15 ml of the juice was diluted with water and 20 ml was taken in a conical flask and 0.1 N NaOH is taken in the burette and the titration was carried out till the end point was reached.
EXPERIMENT 5(ORANGE-B):
20 ml of the juice solution from orange B is taken in a conical flask and 0.1 N NaOH is taken in the burette and the titration was carried out till the end point was reached.
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AMLA JUICE
LIME JUICE(COLD)
AMLA JUICE(2)
LIME JUICE(STORAGE)
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ORANGE JUICE(COLD)
LIME JUICE(COLD)(2)
ORANGE JUICE(COLD)(2)
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CONCLUSION
It was observed that the concentration of Ascorbic Acid decreased with dilution. The concentration also decreased with the increase in temperature Juices stored in coloured bottle lost some amount of Ascorbic Acid
Thus, we have estimated the effect of temperature, dilution, light and freezing on the content of Ascorbic Acid in citrus fruits
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
1. THE DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT OF VITAMIN C by J.R CROOKE and R.E.D MOXON 2. VITAMIN 'C' - ITS BIOCHEMISTRY by ROBERT.C 3. HANDBOOK OF VITAMINS AND HORMONES by KUTSY.R.J 4. ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY by RICHARD.C.R AND DAVID.C.N
WEBSITES
1. www.google.com 2. www.wikipedia.com
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