1. ta
i
V
C
in
m

2. The naming of vitamins began with Funk’s
isolated concentrate. The molecule present here
was called vitamin B, since it cured Beri beri
disease.
Following this, vitamins were name alphabetically:
vitamin A was discovered in 1913-1914, and then
in chronological order, vitamin C, vitamin D which
could cure rickets disease, and vitamin E which
was important to fertility.
The later discovery of a vitamin required for blood
clotting led to the naming of vitamin K where the
K denotes koagulation.

3. Background





Vitamin C is ascorbic acid
The human body cannot synthesize
vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin
In 1928 vitamin C was isolated
In 1933 its structure was determined

4. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)






Antioxidant, strong reducing agent
Collagen synthesis, tissue repair,
bones & teeth, immune system, iron
absorption
Cannot be made by human body
though animals can biosynthesize
from glucose
Found in citrus fruits, cruciferous
veggies, tomatoes, dark green
leafy, berries, mangos, melons
Degraded by cooking
Deficiency causes scurvy, anemia,
depression, infection, tooth/gum
problems, muscle deterioration,
fragile bones, poor wound healing

5. Alternative Names
•Ascorbic acid;
•Dehydroascorbic acid

6. Where Does It Come From?
•Kiwi
•Oranges
•Sweet potatoes
•Lemons
•Tomatoes
•Strawberries
•Turnip Greens
•Broccoli
•Red peppers
•Cantaloupe
•White potatoes
•Papaya
•Blueberries
•Mango and many others

7. OH
Chemistry
O
HO
O
H
HO




Vitamin C is a weak acid, called
Ascorbic acid or its salts “Ascorbate”.
It is the L-enantiomer of Ascorbic
acid.
The D-enantiomer shows no
biological activity.
Commercial vitamin C is often a mix
of Ascorbic acid, Sodium ascorbate
and/or other Ascorbates.
OH

8. How do other nutrients interact with
vitamin C ?
•Supplemental intake of vitamin C at gram-level doses can
interfere with copper metabolism.
•Conversely, vitamin C can significantly enhance iron uptake and
metabolism, even at food-level amounts.
•Vitamin C also has important interactions with other vitamins.
Excessive intake of vitamin A, for example, is less toxic to the
body when vitamin C is readily available.
•Vitamin C is involved in the regeneration of vitamin E, and these
two vitamins appear to work together in their antioxidant effect.

9. VITAMIN-C IN THE WILD
•The vast majority of animals and plants are able to synthesize
vitamin C, through a sequence of enzyme driven steps, which
convert monosaccharide to vitamin C.
•In plants, this is accomplished through the conversion
of mannose or galactose to ascorbic acid.
•In some animals, glucose needed to produce ascorbate in the
liver (in mammals and perching birds) is extracted from glycogen;
ascorbate synthesis is a glycogenolysis-dependent process.
•In reptiles and birds the biosynthesis is carried out in the kidneys

10. Why Do We Need It?
Vitamin C helps us:
•Grow
•Repair broken tissue when we get
hurt
•Make collagen – heal cuts and
bones
•Boost immunity

11. 
1.

The four most noted functions that vitamin C
affect are:
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY
When vitamin C is digested, it becomes a
water soluble antioxidant. Because it is in the
water soluble state, vitamin C can directly affect
the free radicals in the body. Free radicals are
molecules located in the body which are highly
reactive, and known for causing tissue damage.
They are also notoriously known for inducing
oxidative damage to the inner body, advancing
the aging process, and can also cause cancer.

12. 2. Collagen Synthesis
Collagen is the essential part of connective tissue.
Connective tissue is needed to keep the body
together, and is the very framework of the body - the
skin, bones, teeth, blood vessels, cartilage, tendons
and ligaments - all rely on collagen.
3. The Cardiovascular System
Furthermore, vitamin C is vital for the cardiovascular
system. When the body's arteries become clogged,
there isn't enough blood flow to the heart which results
in a heart attack. Vitamin C's antioxidant properties are
absorbed into the blood stream, and can actually
repress the accumulation of arterial blood.

13. 4

The Immune System
Finally, vitamin C impacts the immune system. The
immune system main operation is to protect the body
from foreign substances or toxins. For the immune
system to function correctly, vitamin C is a must. Vitamin
C is extremely important in this function because it is
involved with T-cells and white blood cells. The white
blood cells function is basically to monitor various
disease conditions. Because vitamin C boosts the white
blood cell count, an individual who consumes high doses
of vitamin C has a less likely chance of contracting
diseases.

14. What is Its Role in The Body?



Antioxidant
Decreasing the risk
of certain conditions
Strengthen the
immune system

15. ABSORPTION & EXCRETION
Ascorbic acid is absorbed in the body by both active transport
and simple diffusion
Sodium-Dependent Active Transport—Sodium-Ascorbate CoTransporters (SVCTs) and Hexose transporters (GLUTs)—are the
two transporters required for absorption.
 Ascorbate concentrations over renal re-absorption threshold
pass freely into the urine and are excreted.

16.  At high dietary doses (corresponding to several hundred mg/
day in humans) ascorbate is accumulated in the body until the
plasma levels reach the renal resorption threshold, which is
about 1.5 mg/dL in men and 1.3 mg/dL in women.
 Concentrations in the plasma larger than this value (thought
to represent body saturation) are rapidly excreted in the urine
with a half-life of about 30 minutes.
 Concentrations less than this threshold amount are actively
retained by the kidneys, and the excretion half-life for the
remainder of the vitamin C store in the body thus increases
greatly, with the half-life lengthening as the body stores are
depleted.
 This half-life rises until it is as long as 83 days by the onset of
the first symptoms of scurvy

17. Recommendation for Dietary
Intake
Ages 4 to 8 : 15 mg/day
Ages 9 to 13:
25 mg/day
Females 14 to 18: 65 mg/day
Males 14 to 18:
75 mg/day
Females 19 < :
75 mg/day
Males 19 < :
90 mg/day

18. Some signs of deficiency:
Bleeding gum
s
Rough and dryskin
Slow healing when hurt
Easybruising
Nosebleeds
W
eight gain
Increased chance of infection
Loss of teeth

19. 
Vitamin C Deficiency


Deficiency disease is called
scurvy
Deficiency Symptoms
Anemia – small cell type
 Atherosclerotic plaques and pinpoint
hemorrhages
 Bone fragility and joint pain
 Poor wound healing and frequent
infections
 Bleeding gums and loosened teeth
 Muscle degeneration and pain,
hysteria, and depression
 Rough skin and blotchy bruises


21. Diagnosis of Scurvy

Fasting blood ascorbic acid levels:





levels below 0.10 mg/dL are considered
deficient.
levels of 0.10-0.19 mg/dL are considered low.
levels of 0.2 mg/dL or greater are acceptable
levels greater than 0.6 mg/dL likely rule out
scurvy.
White blood cell ascorbic acid concentration
is considered a more accurate measurement
of vitamin C nutritional status:




with a level of zero suggesting scurvy.
0-7 mg/dL suggesting deficiency.
8-15 mg/dL considered low.
15 mg/dL or greater is adequate vitamin C

22. TREATMENT

Scurvy can be treated by eating food
containing vitamin C (such as oranges,
papaya, strawberries, lemon), tablets with
vitamin C

23. THERAPEUTIC USES
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Cataracts
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Cancer prevention
• Common cold
• Lead toxicity

24. How do cooking, storage, or processing
affect vitamin C ?
 Vitamin C is highly sensitive to air, water, and temperature.
About 25% of the vitamin C in vegetables can be lost simply by blanching
(boiling or steaming the food for a few minutes). This same degree of loss
occurs in the freezing and unthawing of vegetables and fruits.
Cooking of vegetables and fruits for longer periods of time (10-20 minutes)
can result in a loss of over one half the total vitamin C content.
When fruits and vegetables are canned and then reheated, only 1/3 of the
original vitamin C content may be left.
Consumption of vitamin C-rich foods in their fresh, raw form is the best way to
maximize vitamin C intake

25. 
Vitamin C Toxicity

Toxicity Symptoms
Nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, headache,
fatigue and insomnia
 Hot flashes and rashes
 Interference with medical tests, creating a false
positive or a false negative
 Aggravation of gout symptoms, urinary tract
infections, and kidney stones


Upper level for adults: 2000 mg/day

26. TREATMENT
Cease vitamin C intake & Treatment of
underlying condition

27. More Interesting Facts About Vitamin C
:
English sailors were called limeys because they sucked on limes to prevent
scurvy.
Inuit people have very few fresh fruits and vegetables, but they do not get
scurvy. That's because the traditional sea foods they eat such as seal meat
and Arctic char are high in vitamin C.
Ascorbic acid as a food additive helps preserve colours and flavours in
canned food.
Vitamin C and coffee can be used to develop black and white photo film.
It is the most widely researched nutrient on the Internet.
Many people think oranges are the food highest in vitamin C, but there are
others with higher levels including red bell peppers, papaya, broccoli.