Title:

Determination of Vitamin C Concentration in Various Fruit Juice by Titration

Objective:
The main objective of this study is to determine Vitamin C content in fruit juices by using titration
method.
Abstract:
Ascorbic acid, also referred as L-ascorbic acid or vitamin C, is an essential, water-soluble vitamin.
Deficiency of this vitamin results in scurvy. Supplement in the form of fruit juices are some of the
sources of vitamin C. In this study, the vitamin C content in selected juice samples were analysed
using titration method. The titration method used in this study is the iodine method which produced
blue-black end product for the endpoint.
Introduction:
Ascorbic acid also referred as L-ascorbic acid or vitamin C is an essential, water soluble vitamin. It
cannot be synthesized by the human bodies and must be ingested regularly to keep the immune system
working in peak condition. Food is the only source of vitamin C for human. Deficiency of this vitamin
results in scurvy, the symptoms of which are haemorrhages in the gums, skin, bones and joints and the
failure wound healing.
The daily requirement recommend for vitamin C is comprised between 30 and 100 mg per day
depending on the person. It is generally regarded as being nontoxic. With excessive dietary intakes
almost all the ingested amount is excreted in the urine. In healthy individuals, daily dosage of up to at
least 1 g may be taken over a period of weeks without the manifestation of toxic symptoms.
One way to determine the amount of vitamin C in food is to use a redox titration. The redox
reaction is better than an acid-base titration since there are additional acids in a juice, but few of them
interfere with the oxidation of ascorbic acid by iodine.
Iodine is relatively insoluble, but this can be improved by complexing the iodine with iodide
to form triiodide:
I2 + I- <--> I3Triiodide oxidizes vitamin C to form dehydroascorbic acid:
C6H8O6 + I3- + H2O --> C6H6O6 + 3I- + 2H+
As long as vitamin C is present in the solution, the triiodide is converted to the iodide ion very
quickly. However, when the all the vitamin C is oxidized, iodine and triiodide will be present, which
react with starch to form a blue-black complex. The blue-black color is the endpoint of the titration.
Methodology:
In this study, iodine solution reacts as titrating reagent. The endpoint is indicated by the reaction of
iodine with starch suspension, which produces a blue-black product.

Material Samples of three different kinds of fruit juice that is produced by the brand Marigold
-guava juice
-mango juice
-apple juice
-orange juice
-pink guava juice
-grape juice
iodine solution
starch solution
Distilled water
Apparatus

filter funnel
3 beakers
3 titration flask
50 mL burette
25 mL pipette
retort stand and clamp
dropper
white tile

Procedure:

1. Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram above.

2. Pipette 25ml of orange juice into a 250ml of conical flask and add three drops of starch
indicator solution.
3

3. Titrate the sample with 0.005 moldm

4.
5.
6.
7.

iodine solution and at the same time swirl the

solution continuously.
When the endpoint of the titration that is identified as the first permanent trace of a dark blueblack colour is reached, stop the process of titration.
Record the volume of the iodine solution used.
Repeat the experiment three times to obtain a more accurate result.
Repeat steps 2-5 with different types of fruit juice.

By:
Tang Gao Jun
Lai Ting Zheng
Narmeen Nirma