Problem Statement

Which of the following vitamins, vitamin A, E, or C is the most effective antioxidant to prevent or slow down an apple browning process (oxidation) after cutting the apple?

The Effect of Antioxidants on Apple Browning

Materials
4 plates 3 eye droppers Vitamin A Vitamin C Vitamin E

Results
The original purpose of this experiment was to compare the color of apples when treated with antioxidant vitamins, vitamin A, E, and C. The results after observing the experiment and analyzing the recorded data are: Vitamin C is the most effective in decreasing the brownness on the cut apple slices as shown in the both trials. It is the best antioxidant. Apple slices started turning brown in the first 5 minutes on all the apple slices except the slice treated with vitamin C in both trials. A little bit color change was observed on the apple slice treated with vitamin C after 15 minutes. Vitamin C did not let a color change of the apple slice surface between 15 minute and 24 hour period Trial 2 shows better results due to the following possible reasons: o Slices were cut from different Gala apples. o The apple of the first trial looked like a little bit bruised under the peel. o The increase quantity of liquid vitamin drops covered better the surface of the apple slices Vitamin A has a little bit or almost no effect on apple browning. It is the worst antioxidant as shown in the two trials. The recorded data shows that vitamin A has better or equal results than vitamin E after 5 and 15 minutes but it is due to the gold color of the liquid vitamin E. The apple slice absorbs better vitamin E as the time passes by. The oxidation process of apple slices is almost completed within the first hour of the apple cut. Very little or no changes were observed between the first and the 24th hour.

Hypothesis
If vitamins are used as antioxidants to prevent or slow down the damaging effect of the apple browning, then vitamin C will be the most effective because vitamin C is an acid. An acid causes the enzymatic oxidation activity to slow down, thus preventing the apples from turning brown.
8 eye drops of liquid vitamin A

Variables
Independent Variables: Control Variables:
Type of apple. Sizes of apple slice. Time of testing apple after apple was sliced. Amount of vitamin drops applied to the apple slices. Room temperature.

1 digital camera

Dependant Variables :
The level of brownness on the apple slice.

8 eye drops of liquid vitamin C

1 timer

8 eye drops of liquid vitamin E

2 Gala apples

Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of vitamins A, E, and C as antioxidants to the apple browning and to find out which one of them is the best antioxidant. Hypothesis: If vitamins are used as antioxidants to prevent or slow down the damaging effect of apple browning, then vitamin C will be the most effective because it is an acid. An acid causes the enzymatic oxidation activity to slow down, thus preventing the apples from turning brown. Procedure: Cut a Gala apple into four equal slices. Drop three drops of different liquid vitamins (A, E, and C) on the three different slices (one vitamin per slice). Let slices sit for 5, 15, 30, 60 minutes, and 24 hours. Make record for each observation and take pictures. Repeat the procedures one more time with only increasing the drops quantity of each vitamin to five. Results: Trials results of the experiment confirm that vitamin C as an oxidant prevents or slows down the apple browning most effectively. Vitamin A has a little or almost no effect on apple browning. Conclusions: The stated hypothesis should be approved based on the results of the experiment. However, it is not clear if an apple slice staying dipped in a vitamin solution would improve or change the results. Even though the results are not very accurate due to the color measurement system, I would conclude that using vitamin C as an antioxidant can help us to preserve the apple browning.

1 apple slicer (knife)

Observations
Initial stage - 0 minutes browning Initial stage - 0 minutes browning

Trial 1

Trial 2

Procedures
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Cut one gala apple into four equal slices (perform in room temperature). Put each slice in a separate plate. Label the plates: 1 - control, 2 - vitamin A, 3 - vitamin E, 4 - vitamin C. Take a picture of the plates Drop 3 drops of the liquid vitamin A on the slice in plate 2 vitamin A. Drop 3 drops of the liquid vitamin E on the slice in plate 3 vitamin E. Drop 3 drops of the liquid vitamin C on the slice in plate 4 vitamin C. Start the timer. Let the apple slices sit for 5 min, 15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, and 24 hours. After each allotted time record the observation and take pictures with respect to the shade of brown on each apple slice. Scale for the shades of brown 0 to 10, 0 represents no browning and 10 represents the full browning. Repeat steps 1 to 4 one more time. Drop 5 drops of the liquid vitamin A on the slice in plate 2 vitamin A. Drop 5 drops of the liquid vitamin E on the slice in plate 3 vitamin E. Drop 5 drops of the liquid vitamin C on the slice in plate 4 vitamin C. Repeat steps 8 to 11 one more time.

Conclusions
5 minutes browning

5 minutes browning

Vitamin C is the most effective antioxidant.

The experiment results support the hypothesis, which states that vitamin C is the most effective antioxidant preventing or slowing down the damaging effect of the apple browning. The hypothesis should be accepted. Certainly, there are problems that may have affected the results. As mentioned earlier, there could be some bruises under the peel of the apple or inside that could not be easily recognized. The browning process already started before even applying antioxidants. Another problem is the way of measuring the color. Making a scale and determining the change of the color visually is very subjective and inaccurate. A device should be used for more accurate color change measurement. In addition, reasons for inaccurate results are the vitamins quantity and quality and to what extend the vitamin drops are spread equally. I believe that the results accuracy could be improved if the apple slice stays dipped in a vitamin solution instead of spreading drops on its surface. Most of the over the counter vitamins contains some additional ingredients that may affect the results.

Trial 1

15 minutes browning

Trial 2

15 minutes browning

Trial 1

Charts Data
AppleBrowningExperimentData:
Trial 1

30 minutes browning

Trial 2

30 minutes browning

Trial 2

Bibliography Abstract
1. Kimberly A. McGrath, Stacey Blachford (2000) The Gale Encyclopedia of Science Second Edition 2. The Medical Tent, June 1996, Antioxidants and Free Radicals, retrieved: < http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/antiox.html>

Application
60 minutes browning

60 minutes browning

The apple has been eaten and used in many dishes, but the browning of apples has made us reconsider eating it after a short period of time. When making a fruit salad, apples are commonly used, but when they start turning brown, it doesnt look good. Because of this people use lemon juice that is reach of vitamin C to prevent the oxidation.

Trial 1

3. Asato, Robert Oxidation/Reduction. January 6, 2005 <http://library.kcc.hawaii.edu/external/chemistry/> 4. Hapeman, Cathleen J., Oxidation. World Book Encyclopedia. 1998 5. Wendy Watt, O.D, October 25, 2000, Descriptions of Antioxidant Vitamins, Nutrients, and Minerals <http://www.mdsupport.org/library/antioxidant_descriptions.html> 6. Lynne McLandsborough, July, 2007, Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut? http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-why-cut-applesturn-brown

Trial 2

AppleBrowningExperimentDataChart:
24 hours browning 24 hours browning

Source: www.feelslikehomeblog.com

Apple is used in fruit salads

Trial 1

Trial 2