EVALUATION OF ASCORBIC ACID IN

CITRUS FRUITS
Project work submitted to the Chellappan Vidya Mandir
International School in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of
HIGHER SECONDARY - SECOND YEAR
Submitted by
NETHRRAA K
Reg. No.:
Under the guidance of
Mr. MANU MOHAN M.Phil.
PGT CHEMISTRY

O. Siruvayal Road, Peyanpatti,

Karaikudi - 630 208.
2024-2025
1
 BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project work was done under the guidance
and this work entitled as "EVALUATION OF ASCORBIC ACID
IN CITRUS FRUITS" submitted by NETHRRAA K to Chellappan
Vidya Mandir International School in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of Higher Secondary- Second year during
the year 2024-2025. Also certified that this work has not been
submitted in full or in part to this school or any other institution.

MR. MANU MOHAN M.Phil.,

GUIDE

MR. N.S. SUBRAMANIAN M.Sc., B.Ed.,

PRINCIPAL

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

2
 DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the dissertation entitled
“EVALUATION OF ASCORBIC ACID IN CITRUS
FRUITS” is an original work done by me and it has no
previously formed the basis for the award of any higher
degrees

Place: CHELLAPPAN VIDYA MANDIR

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL KARAIKUDI

Date:

NETHRRAA K

3
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I express my deepest sense of gratitude to
MR.MANU MOHAN M.Phil, for his valuable guidance and for his
constant encouragement with timely advice throughout this project
work.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to

MR. N. SUBRAMANIAN M.Sc.,B.Ed., Principal of Chellappan
Vidya Mandir International School Karaikudi for his kind
encouragement in completing this project work.

I also extend my sincere thanks to the

institution for their whole hearted support for this project work.

I wish to thank my parents, friends and well

wishers for their timely help to complete this project.

I thank CBSE for providing me with an

opportunity to undertake this project.

Finally, I thank the almighty, the beloved

who lit education in my life.

NETHRRAA K

4
 CONTENTS
S.No TITLE PAGE
. No.
1 ABSTRACT 6
2 INTRODUCTION
1.CITRIC ACID 8
2.ASCORBIC ACID
3.VITAMIN C
3 EXPERIMENT
1.AIM
2.MATERIALS REQUIRED
3.THEORY 13
4.PROCEDURE
5.OBSERVATION &
CALCULATION
4 RESULT 20
5 CONCLUSION 22
6 SCOPE & LIMITATIONS 24
7 BIBLIOGRAPHY 26

5
CHAPTER – 1

6
 ABSTRACT

The objective of this study is to determine the

Vitamin C content in citrus fruits and non-citrus
fruits in order to analyse their Vitamin C content
titrimetrically. Many methods were developed for
the determination of vitamin C such as
spectrophotometry, electrophoresis, titration, and
high-performance liquid chromatography This
study aims to compare vitamin C content of citrus
fruits titration method. Titration which is also
known as titrimetry is a chemical qualitative
analysis technique that is used to calculate the
concentration of a given analyte in a mixture
Titration is an important technique in the field of
analytical chemistry and is sometimes referred to
as volumetric analysis also.

Keywords: Vitamin C, titrimetric method, citrus,

and non-citrus fruits.

7
CHAPTER – 2

8
 INTRODUCTION
Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C, a nutrient known to
help give your immune system a boost. It encourages
your immune system to produce white blood cells.
which are necessary to fight infections. Oranges,
grapefruit, lemons, limes, shaddocks, and citrons are all
types of citrus fruit Citrus fruits have a juicy pulp inside
a leathery skin. They grow on trees, bushes, or shrubs.

A titration is a technique where a solution of known

concentration is used to determine the concentration of
an unknown solution. Typically, the titrant (the know
solution) is added from a burette to a known quantity of
the analyte (the unknown solution) until the reaction is
complete Titration is important in real life because
Titration is an analytical technique that is widely used
in the food industry It allows food manufacturers to
determine the quantity of a reactant in a sample

2.1 Citric Acid

2.2 Ascorbic Acid
2.3 Vitamin C

9
2.1 CITRIC ACID
Citric Acid is a weak acid with a chemical formula
C₂H₂O It can occur in two forms monohydrate or
water-free (anhydrous) This acid is usually found in
citrus fruits like lemons, oranges etc

Citric acid is a naturally occurring antioxidant. People

use it as a food flavouring and preservative an
ingredient in cosmetics, and a component in cleaning
products. Because citric acid works as an additive, there
is a manufactured version of it.

2.2. ASCORBIC ACID

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin
which can be found in many biological systems and
foodstuffs (fresh vegetables and fruits, namely. citrus).
Ascorbic acid plays an important role in collagen
biosynthesis, iron absorption, and immune response
activation and is involved in wound healing and
osteogenesis. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant
which fights against free-radical induced diseases.
Nevertheless, an ascorbic acid excess can lead to gastric
irritation, and the metabolic product of vitamin C
(oxalic acid) can cause renal problems. In some cases,
excessive quantities of ascorbic acid may result in the

10
inhibition of natural processes occurring in food and
can contribute to taste deterioration; vitamin C inhibits
oxidation processes responsible for apple juice aroma.
Ascorbic acid is a labile substance, as it is easily
degraded by enzymes and atmospheric oxygen. Its
oxidation can be accelerated by excessive heat, light,
and heavy metal cations That is why ascorbic acid
content of foodstuffs and beverages represents a
relevant indicator of quality which has to be carefully
monitored, regarding its variation during manufacturing
and storage.

Ascorbic acid ((R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-((S)- 1,2-

dihydroxyethyl) furan- 2(5H)-one) is a naturally
occurring weak, organic acid with formula C6H8O6 It is
a form of Vitamin C with molar mass 176.12 g mol-1 It
is optically active and L-ascorbic acid is naturally
occurring and has a specific rotation of +230 It consists
of 2 alcoholic groups (-OH) contributing to its acidic
character. It is classified as a reductone Ascorbic acid
has this molecular structure, based upon its chemical
formula C6H8O6 It is the -OH group on the bottom right-
hand carbon chain which can lose a hydrogen in the
presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH),
and thus ascorbic acid can be considered a weak,
monoprotic acid. Thus, aqueous solutions of ascorbic
acid can be titrated by NaOH to the phenolphthalein
11
end point. When in an aqueous solution, Vitamin C will
be oxidized, and particularly so at high temperatures.
This is the main reason that food stuffs which contain
Vitamin C should be consumed quickly after harvest,
and with as little further preparation as possible

2.3. VITAMIN C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble, carbohydrate-like
substance that is involved in certain metabolic
processes of animals. Although most animals can
synthesize vitamin C. it is necessary for the diet of
some, including humans and other primates, to prevent
scurvy Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid

The important functions of vitamin C include the

formation of protein used to make skin, tendons,
ligaments, and blood vessels for healing wounds and
forming scar tissue. for repairing and maintaining
cartilage, bones, and teeth and aid in the
absorption of iron.

12
CHAPTER – 3

13
 EXPERIMENT
3.1. AIM
The aim of the experiment is to determine the strength of
ascorbic acid in citrus fruits by titration method.

3.2. MATERIALS REQUIRED

Lemon, Amla, Mosambi fruit juices

3.3. THEORY
Citrus Fruits:
Citrus is a common term and genus (Citrus) of flowering
plants in therue family. Rutaceae The best-known examples
are oranges, lemons, limes, amla, etc. They are a rich source
of two major acids, citric acid and ascorbic acid.

14
Relative Content in Citrus Fruits:
Since citrus fruits have both citric and ascorbic acids, both
acids will collectively neutralize NaOH. But ascorbic acid
content is much higher than citric acid in many citrus fruits
(ascorbic acid content in lemon is about 32% while citric acid
content is 5-6%). Hence, contribution to titration with NaOH
will be more for ascorbic acid

Citric Acid:
Citric acid is a weak organic acid with the formula C, H, O. It
is a natural preservative/conservative which occurs naturally
in citrus fruit sand is also used to add an acidic or sour taste to
foods and drinks. In biochemistry, the conjugate base of citric
acid, citrate. is important as an intermediate in the citric acid
cycle. which occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic
organisms. It consists of 3 carboxyl (-COOH) groups
contributing to its acidic character

Structure:

15
Ascorbic Acid:
Ascorbic acid ((R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-((S)-1,2-
dihydroxyethy)furan- 2(5H)- one) is a naturally occurring
weak, organic acid with formula C,H,O, It is a white solid and
water soluble. It is a form of Vitamin C. It is optically active
and L-ascorbic acid is naturally occurring and has aspecific
rotation of +230. It consists of 2 alcoholic groups (-OH)
contributing to its acidic character. It is classified as a
reductone

Structure:

Importance of Vitamin C:
Vitamin C plays a very important role in the maintenance of
the human body, it is required in very small amounts. Many
animals produce vitamin e themselves, but humans do not.
 It helps in the formation of collagen, the most abundant
fibre in connective tissues.
 It catalyses healing of all wounds, from broken bones to
cuts to surgical wounds, Vitamin C is taken orally.

16
 It makes the headlines when it comes to cancer
prevention
 Its antioxidant properties protect cells from damage and
mutations.
 It also prevents cataract and heart diseases due to its
ability to counteract free radicals.

3.4 PROCEDURE

Procedure of titration:

A titration is a technique where a solution of known

concentration is used to determine the concentration of
an unknown solution.

Typically, the titrant is added from a burette to a known

quantity of the analyse until the reaction is complete

Knowing the volume of titrant added allows the

determination of the concentration of the unknown.
Often, an indicator is used to usually signal the end of the
reaction, the endpoint.

The unknown concentration is found out by law of

equivalents i.e.
N1V1=N2V2

Where N is normality of solution and V is the volume

reacted. The equation can also be written as:

17
 nM1V1=nM2V2
Here n is the ‘n factor’ of the compound and M is the
molarity of the solution. Only M1 is unknown here

3.5. OBSERVATIONS & CALCULATIONS

1. Amount of fruit juice taken 5ml

2. Amount of NaOH needed to make 500 ml of 0.1M

solution =0.1x0.5x40 g=2g

3. Indicator used: Phenolphthalein

4. End point: Colour of fruit juice to pink

LEMON JUICE: OBSERVATION TABLE

S.No. INITIAL FINAL TOTAL
READING (ml) READING (ml) READING (ml)
1 0 57 57
2 0 55 55
3 0 55 55
Concordant reading = 55ml

CALCULATIONS:

2xMaxVa=MbxVb
 Ma= (0.1x55)/(2x5) = 0.55M
 Strength = MxM0=0.55x176 = 96.2 g/L

18
 MOSAMBI JUICE: OBSERVATION TABLE

S.No. INITIAL FINAL TOTAL

READING (ml) READING (ml) READING (ml)
1 0 8 8
2 0 9 9
3 0 9 9
Concordant reading = 9ml

CALCULATIONS:

2xMaxVa=MbxVb
 Ma= (0.1x8)/(2x5) = 0.08M
 Strength = MxM0=0.08x176 = 14.08 g/L

AMLA JUICE: OBSERVATION TABLE

S.No. INITIAL FINAL TOTAL

READING (ml) READING (ml) READING (ml)
1 0 43 43
2 0 42 42
3 0 43 43
Concordant reading = 43ml

CALCULATIONS:

2xMaxVa=MbxVb
 Ma= (0.1x43)/(2x5) = 0.43M
 Strength = MxM0=0.43x176 = 75.68 g/L
19
CHAPTER – 4

20
 RESULT
The strength of ascorbic acid in citrus fruits
has hence been found out by titration.

The descending order of strength is:

✓ Lemon juice: 96.2 g/L

✓ Amla juice: 75.68 g/L

✓ Mosambi juice: 14.08 g/L

21
CHAPTER – 5

CONCLUSION
22
Vitamin C is required for the optimal
activity of several important biosynthetic
enzymes, and it is therefore essential for
various metabolic pathways in the body.
However, vitamin C of about 75mg/day
and 90mg/day are required for normal
women and men respectively This level is
believed sufficient enough to prevent
deficiency disease. Titration can provide a
simple analysis of ascorbic acid and this
method is highly economical.

23
 CHAPTER – 6

SCOPE & LIMITATIONS

24
Ascorbic acid or Vitamin C is one of the safest and most effective
nutrients The benefits of vitamin C may include protection against
immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health
problems, eye disease, and even skin wrinkling. The tolerable upper
intake level is 2000 mg a day for adults. People are putting more and
more attention on antioxidant substances such as vitamin C or more
specifically L-ascorbic acid. It has many antioxidants that can protect
against damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals, as
well as toxic chemicals and pollutants like cigarette smoke. Free
radicals can build up and contribute to the development of health
conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and arthritis Vitamin C is not
stored in the body, so overdose is not a concern But it's still important
not to exceed the safe upper limit of 2,000 milligrams a day Eat
vitamin-C-rich fruits and vegetables raw, or cook them with minimal
water so you don't lose some of the water-soluble vitamin in the
cooking water. Vitamin C is easily absorbed both in food and in pill
form, and it can enhance the absorption of iron when the two are
eaten together Deficiency of vitamin C is relatively rare, and
primarily seen in malnourished adults.

When taken by mouth: Vitamin C is likely safe for most people In

some people. vitamin C might cause side effects such as stomach
cramps, nausea, heartburn, and headache The chance of getting these
side effects increases with higher doses Taking more than 2000 mg
daily is possibly unsafe and may cause kidney stones and severe
diarrhoea and increases the risk of getting more kidney stones.

When applied to the skin: Vitamin C is likely safe for most people.
It might cause irritation and tingling

25
CHAPTER – 7

26
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C

2. https://www.chemicool.com/definition/titration.html

3. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?
tname=nutrient&dbid

4. http://www.lenntech.com/fruit-vegetable-vitamin-
content.html

27