Fruit, ascorbic acid distribution

L-Ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C, has the simplest chemical structure of all the vitamins (Figure 18.30). It is widely distributed in the animal and plant kingdoms, and only a few vertebrates—humans and other primates, guinea pigs, fruit-eating bats, certain birds, and some fish (rainbow trout, carp, and Coho salmon, for example)—are unable to synthesize it. In all these organisms, the inability to synthesize ascorbic acid stems from a lack of a liver enzyme, L-gulono-y-lactone oxidase. 

Vasudeva, N., Gopal, N. H., Studies on ascorbic acid in coffee plants. II. Distribution in ripe fruits and its relation with coffee quality, J. Coffee Res., 4, 25, 1974. (CA85 59606k)... 

Ascorbic acid is widely distributed in nature, but it occurs in especially high concentration in citrus fruits and green plants such as green peppers and spinach. Ascorbic acid can be synthesized by all plants and animals with the exception of humans, other primates, and guinea pigs. Therefore, vitamin C must be present in our dietary substances. 

As to antioxidants, paprika fruit contains ascorbic acid and several isomers of tocopherol. The pulp distributed mainly a-tocopherol while the seeds contained y -tocopherol as the abundant isomer /Fig.3/. Despits the high biological activity of y -tocopherol, its content in paprika seeds is not of high technological importance especially when the seeds are ground together with the paprika powders /Table I/. The most effective amount of tocopherol was found in the pulp of the fruit. 

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