INCIDENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE RANGES IN 10 ° C INTERVALS IN THE OXIDATION PROCESS OF ASCORBIC ACID IN CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA JUICES

RANGOS DE TEMPERATURAS EN INTERVALOS DE 10 °C EN EL PROCESO DE OXIDACIÓN DEL ́CIDO ASCÓRBICO EN ZUMOS DE CITRUS AURANTIFOLIA

Abstract

Vitamin C is of vital importance, since the lack of ascorbic acid in the human body produces scurvy. It is for this reason that humans ingest this vitamin through fruits and vegetables. In this research we worked with Citrus aurantifolia (Creole lemon) which is one of the best known and cultivated lemon varieties around the world. This research aims to know the amount of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) present in Citrus aurantifolia that is oxidized by the effect of different temperatures, in order to really know what is the true nutritional content of vitamin C present in Creole lemon once subjected to different temperature ranges in 10 ° C intervals. This lemon variety contains between 30.0-48.7 mg of vitamin C. Iodometric titration was used as the main methodology in this research. This technique is a quantitative analysis method in which the volume of a solution of known concentration (iodine solution) required to fully react with a compound in solution of unknown concentration (vitamin C content) is measured. It can be affirmed through the results obtained that the heat provided by the high temperatures accelerates the oxidation process of ascorbic acid in lemon juices. From 20 ° C more than 20% of vitamin C content is lost in lemon juice.