A High-performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Determining Ascorbic Acid Content of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Ascorbic acid of fresh fruits and vegetables was extracted with 6% metaphosphoric acid and determined effectively by using a Clg cartridge in a radial compression module and 1.5% NH4H2PO4 mobile phase in a high performance liquid chromatograph. The commonly used AOAC method (2) of First, fresh fruits and vegetables contain corndetermining ascorbic acid content in fresh pounds other than ascorbic acid that will refruits and vegetables by reducing the 2,6duce the dye. Second, recognizing the sharp dichlorophenolindophenol has 2 limitations, change in the dye color is difficult when the sample extract contains carotenoids or anthocyanin. These problems are not encoun'Received for publication January 15, 1982. Refertered when the ascorbic acid content is deterence to a specific brand or firm name does not conmined by the high performance liquid stitute endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agchromatography (HPLC) method. Augustin riculture over others of a similar nature not mene, a] (1) mocijfjed the HPLC procedure of "°I!!Sood et al. (5) by using a 3.9 mm x 30 cm The cost of publishing this paper was defrayed in . „ , . , part by the payment of page charges. Under postal "Bondapak C I 8 column w.th a tndecylamregulations, this paper therefore must be hereby momum formate/water/methanol solution, marked advertisement solely to indicate this fact. pH 4.5, as the mobile phase. In our prelimiThe technical assistance of Carol Simonds is sinnary test this procedure was not satisfactory cerely appreciated. because the internal pressure increased after 5 334 HORTSCIENCE, VOL. 17(3), JUNE 1982. Table 1. Ascorbic acid content of horticultural commodities determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Ascorbic acid (mg/100 g fresh weights)