Ascorbic acid

Uses

Ascorbic acid is easily oxidized and so is used as a reductant in photographic developer solutions (among others) and as a preservative. Exposure to oxygen, metals, light and heat destroy ascorbic acid, so it must be stored in dark and cold and not in a metal containment. The oxidized form of ascorbic acid is known as dehydroascorbic acid.

Related Topics:
Preservative - Dehydroascorbic acid

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The L-enantiomer of ascorbic acid is also known as vitamin C (the name "ascorbic" comes from its property of preventing and curing scurvy). Primates (including humans) and a few other species, such as the guinea pig, cannot synthesise vitamin C.

Related Topics:
L-enantiomer - Scurvy - Primate - Guinea pig

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Ascorbic acid and its sodium, potassium, and calcium salts are commonly used as antioxidant food additives. These compounds are water soluble and thus cannot protect fats from oxidation: for this purpose, the fat-soluble esters of ascorbic acid with long-chain fatty acids (ascorbyl palmitate or ascorbyl stearate) can be used as food antioxidants.

Related Topics:
Salts - Antioxidant - Food additive - Fats - Soluble - Ester - Fatty acid

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The relevant European food additive E numbers are:

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E300 ascorbic acid,

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E301 sodium ascorbate, E302 calcium ascorbate,

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E303 potassium ascorbate,

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E304 fatty acid esters of ascorbic acid (i) ascorbyl palmitate (ii) ascorbyl stearate.

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