Rapid and Specific Spectrophotometric and RP-HPLC Methods for the Determination of Ascorbic Acid in Fruits Juices and in Human Plasma

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Ascorbic acid (AA) is one of the most important water soluble vitamin in the human diet, present naturally in a wide range of foods, especially fruits and vegetables. The objective of this study was to develop a rapid, sensitive and specific method for the determination of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) from a variety of sources like fresh fruits or from human plasma using spectrophotometric technique or by RP-HPLC. Initially, estimation of vitamin C was carried out spectrophotometrically as UV spectroscopy is a trusted technique to monitor small quantities of drugs and vitamins. The assay was linear over the concentration range of 0.05-100 mg/mL-1. In the second procedure, we attempted to separate and quantitate ascorbic acid from fruit juices as well as from human plasma by RP-HPLC with UV detection. This has been possible because of the diversity of columns and conditions of analysis available. Chromatographic separation was successfully achieved on a pre-packed Kromasil 100, C18 (5 mm 25 x 0.46) column using acetonitrile: water (60:40; v/v) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.75 mL-min and effluent monitored at 265 nm. The assay was also linear over the concentration range of 0.05-100 mg/mL-1, with recovery ranging from 99.0-100.0 % and intra and inter day CV <3 % when applied to the analysis of ascorbic acid from fruit juice available in Pakistan at the time of study. Grape fruit, malta, mosami, sweetlemon, fruiter, lemon, lime, custard apple, orange, lemon, guava and papaya juice were found to be very rich in as ascorbic acid, while chikoo, pear, apricot, peach, carrot and some other fruits were found to be poor sources of ascorbic acid.

Muhammad Saeed Arayne ,