Active Content Variation in Citrus Lemon: Age, Temperature, pH and Air

ABSTRACT Vitamin C is an antioxidant and free radical scavenger for human body. Consumption of Vita C as a nutrient in diet is recommended. Thermal process, environmental factors and pH can cause a negative impact on vitamin content in multivitamin formulation and juices due to physical and chemical instability. Vita C content varies with the age of lemon fruit from unripe to stale. The present paper aims towards content variability and stability studies under various storage conditions like temperature air and pH. Classical methodology like Iodatometric titration is an easy way to trace out the vitamin content in any source using potassium iodate with starch as external indicator. Fresh ripened lemon juice contained 36.5 mg/100ml Vita C, whereas unripened contains 74.6 mg/100ml. Thermal shock of higher degree can decrease the content but for preservation lower temperature was found less deteriorative and deleterious. Percent loss of vitamin were found higher, 56.52 at 80°C and 39.12, 34.8 and 26.3 at 60°C, 40°C and room temperature respectively. Lower temperature shows good retention of vitamin content in the juice so as the percent loss were found 21.9, 13.01 and 8.68 at 12°C , 0°C and -12°C respectively. Air treatments and pH attacks were found harmful for Vita C storage. Storage of it in open bottle in environment the amount was decrease up to with time of min. manipulation of ph using acids and bases also found to decrease the content