ESTIMATION OF VITAMIN C CONTENT IN RIPE AND HALF RIPE FRUIT (ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE)

ESTIMATION OF VITAMIN C COTENT IN RIPE AND HALF RIPE FRUIT (ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE)

ABSTRACT

The amount of vitamin C present in the sample of juice extracted from half ripe and ripe fruits of orange and pineapple was determined using standard analytical techniques. The vitamin C content of many fruit was higher when it was slightly immature and rephrases as the fruit hits its peak of ripeness for few such as orange and pineapple fruits, vitamin C content did rise with increased in ripeness. Fruits such as orange, pineapple lemon etc. contained a number of vitamin C that are used as supplement to treat everyday illness in human being.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Fruits are divided into climatic and non-climatic classes on their respiration pattern during ripening. In non-climatic category are the grape fruit, lemon, orange, melon, pineapple and the strawberries. In these fruit, the respiratory pattern shows slow drift downwards after detachment from the parent plant while climatic classes undergoes a distinct ripening phage e.g bananas, pear and avocados. Ascorbic acid also know as vitamin c, when pure is a white crystalline water-soluble vitamin found especially in citrus fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid is the most abundant vitamin in orange, lemon, and grape. Fruit there is a considered variation in the ascorbic acid content of juice of different  fruits (groper 2005)

Vitamin c it the most important vitamin for human nutrition that is supplied by fruits and vegetables. It is a valuable food component because of its antioxidant and therapeutic properties.  (Fred 1966)

An accurate and specific determination of the nutrients content of fruits is extremely important to understand the relationship of dietary intake and human health. A wide variety of food exists that contains vitamin C. fruits, vegetables and organ meats are generally the best sources of ascorbic acid. For better utilization of fruits and vegetables as a human food, clear understanding of their nutritional value as well as the content of vitamin c estimation is essential. The amounts of ascorbic acid in plants varies greatly, depending on factors such as weather, maturity, handling and storage, ripening stage, species and variety of the fruits as well as temperature.

Vitamin C is an important anti-oxidant, helps to protect cancers, heat disease, stress etc. it is part of the cellular chemistry that provides energy. It is essential for sperm production and making the collagen protein involved in the building and health of cartilage joints, skin and blood vessels. Vitamin c helps in maintaining a healthy immune system. It aids in neutralizing pollutants, it is needed for anti-bodies production. It aids increase in the absorption of nutrients (including iron) into the gut and the blood (Levine et al, 1999).

It is important to the health and well being of humans. It works by stimulating the immune system and protecting against damage by the free radicals released by the blood in its fight against infection. It protects blood vessel integrity and elderly person may prevent cognitive impairment and possible stroke.

The amount of vitamin c needed by the body can be obtained from a diet which contains fresh fruits and vegetables that provides protection against cancer and heart disease.(Levine et al 1999).

Deficiency of vitamin c lead to scurvy, a disease characterized by sourness and stiffness of the joint and lower extremities rigidity, swollen and bloody gums and hemorrhage in the tissue of the body. If can also be characterized by fatigue muscular and bone pairs and depression. As the deficiency progresses there may be in wound healing and bleeding of the gums while brushing (Romero 1992) there may be enlargement of the hair follicles causing roughness of the skin, there may be anemia and possible pathological bone fracture due to failure of normal bone formation. Death results from pneumonia and cardiac failure (gale, 1995).

Pure vitamin c contains balanced of essential minerals; calcium; magnesium, potassium, and zinc. Most Americans are deficient in one or more of these key minerals due to stress ill health food processing toxic and factors (gale 1995).