Study of presence of

Oxalate ions
In

Guava Fruit
At different stages of ripening

Made By:
Mahak Shah
XII-A
 CERTIFICATE

This is certified to be bonafide work of the

MAHAK SHAH of Class XII B in the CHEMISTRY
LABORATORY during academic year 2012-2013.

Teacher In-charge

Examiner’s Signature Principal

Signature

Date………………
 INDEX

S.No. Topic Page

1. Acknowledgement 4
2. Introduction 5
3. Plant Chemicals 6
4. Oxalic Acid 8
5. Experiment 9
6. Observations 11
7. Calculations 12
8. Conclusion 13
9. Bibliography 14

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Mrs.

USHARANI MAM for the valuable guidance and help
provided by her for undertaking and completing this
project.

I would also like to thank my PARENTS for providing

me the material and help in completing this project.
 INTRODUCTION
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Psidium
Species: guajava
Common names: Guava, goiaba, guayaba, djamboe,
djambu, goavier, gouyave, goyave, goyavier, perala,
bayawas, dipajaya jambu, petokal, tokal, guave,
guavenbaum, guayave, banjiro, goiabeiro, guayabo,
guyaba, goeajaaba, guave, goejaba, kuawa, abas,
jambu batu, bayabas, pichi, posh, enandi
Part Used: Fruit, leaf, bark

Guava is a common shade tree or shrub in dooryard

gardens in the tropics. It provides shade while the
guava fruits are eaten fresh and made into drinks, ice
cream, and preserves. In the richness of the Amazon,
guava fruits often grow well beyond the size of tennis
balls on well-branched trees or shrubs reaching up to
20 m high. Cultivated varieties average about 10
meters in height and produce lemon-sized fruits. The
tree is easily identified by its distinctive thin, smooth,
copper-colored bark that flakes off, showing a
greenish layer beneath.

Guava fruit today is considered minor in terms of

commercial world trade but is widely grown in the
tropics, enriching the diet of hundreds of millions of
people in the tropics of the world. Guava has spread
widely throughout the tropics because it thrives in a
variety of soils, propagates easily, and bears fruit
relatively quickly. The fruits contain numerous seeds
that can produce a mature fruit-bearing plant within
four years.
 PLANT CHEMICALS
Guava is rich in tannins, phenols, triterpenes,
flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids,
lectins, vitamins, fiber and fatty acids. Guava fruit is
higher in vitamin C than citrus (80 mg of vitamin C in
100 g of fruit) and contains appreciable amounts of
vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also a good source
of pectin - a dietary fiber. The leaves of guava are rich
in flavonoids, in particular, quercetin. Much of guava's
therapeutic activity is attributed to these flavonoids.
The flavonoids have demonstrated antibacterial
activity. Quercetin is thought to contribute to the anti-
diarrhea effect of guava; it is able to relax intestinal
smooth muscle and inhibit bowel contractions. In
addition, other flavonoids and triterpenes in guava
leaves show antispasmodic activity. Guava also has
antioxidant properties, which is attributed to the
polyphenols found in the leaves.

Guava's main plant chemicals include: alanine, alpha-

humulene, alpha-hydroxyursolic acid, alpha-linolenic
acid, alpha-selinene, amritoside, araban, arabinose,
arabopyranosides, arjunolic acid, aromadendrene,
ascorbic acid, ascorbigen, asiatic acid, aspartic acid,
avicularin, benzaldehyde, butanal, carotenoids,
caryophyllene, catechol-tannins, crataegolic acid, D-
galactose, D-galacturonic acid, ellagic acid, ethyl
octanoate, essential oils, flavonoids, gallic acid,
glutamic acid, goreishic acid, guafine, guavacoumaric
acid, guaijavarin, guajiverine, guajivolic acid,
guajavolide, guavenoic acid, guajavanoic acid,
histidine, hyperin, ilelatifol D, isoneriucoumaric acid,
isoquercetin, jacoumaric acid, lectins, leucocyanidins,
limonene, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, lysine,
mecocyanin, myricetin, myristic acid, nerolidiol,
obtusinin, octanol, oleanolic acid, oleic acid, oxalic
acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, pectin,
polyphenols, psidiolic acid, quercetin, quercitrin,
serine, sesquiguavene, tannins, terpenes, and ursolic
acid.

GUAVA PLANT SUMMARY

Main Preparation Method: decoction

Main Actions (in order):

antidysenteric, antiseptic, antibacterial, antispasmodic,
cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart)

Main Uses:

1. for dysentery (bacterial and amebic), diarrhea, colic,

and infantile rotavirus enteritis
2. as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial for internal and
external bacterial, fungal, candidal, and amebic
infections
3. to tone, balance, protect and strengthen the heart (and
for arrhythmia and some heart diseases)
4. as a cough suppressant, analgesic (pain-reliever), and
febrifuge (reduces fever) for colds, flu, sore throat, etc
5. as a topical remedy for ear and eye infections

Properties/Actions Documented by Research:

amebicide, analgesic (pain-reliever), antibacterial,
anticandidal, antidysenteric, antifungal, antimalarial,
antioxidant, antispasmodic, antiulcerous, cardiodepressant,
cardiotonic (tones, balances, strengthens the heart), central
nervous system depressant, cough suppressant, gastrototonic
(tones, balances, strengthens the gastric tract), hypotensive
(lowers blood pressure), sedative, vasoconstrictor

Other Properties/Actions Documented by Traditional Use:

anti-anxiety, anticonvulsant, antiseptic, astringent, blood
cleanser, digestive stimulant, menstrual stimulant, nervine
(balances/calms nerves), vermifuge (expels worms)

Cautions: It has a cardiac depressant effect and is

contraindicated in some heart conditions.
 OXALIC ACID

Oxalic acid is the chemical compound formula

H2C2O4. This dicarboxylic acid is better described with
the formula HO2CCO2H. It is a relatively strong organic
acid, being about 10,000 times stronger than acetic
acid. The dianion, known as oxalate, is also a reducing
agent and a ligand in coordination chemistry. Oxalic
acid and oxalates are abundantly present in many
plants, most notably in sour grass, and sorrel
(including Oxalis), roots and leaves of rhubarb and
buckwheat.

At high concentrations, it is a dangerous poison, but

such immediately toxic levels are not found in
foodstuffs but rather in manufactures, such as some
bleaches, some anti-rust products, and some metal
cleaners (among other things). It is also a naturally
occurring component of plants, and is found in
relatively high levels in dark-green leafy foods

In the human body, ingested oxalic acid is not a useful

nutrient; so, like all such unneeded components of
diet, it is processed by the body to a convenient form
and that byproduct is then excreted--in this case, in
the urine. In the course of being processed by the
body, oxalic acid combines with other substances to
form various salts, called oxalates; usually, those
salts are in solution, but in high concentration some
may precipitate out in crystalline form. Such tiny
crystals can cause damage to human tissue,
especially to the stomach, the kidneys, and the
bladder. It is commonly believed that oxalates
contribute to the formation of kidney and bladder
stones; one common nutrient with which oxalic acid
combines is calcium, making the salt calcium oxalate,
and calcium oxalate is found in kidney stones.
To study the presence of Oxalate
Ion content in Guava Fruit at
different stages of ripening

Requirements:

100 ml measuring flask, pestle and mortar, beaker,

titration flask, funnel, burette, weight box, pipette,
filter paper, dilute H2SO4, KMnO4, and guava fruits
at different stages of ripening.

Theory:

Oxalate ions are extracted from the fruit by boiling

pulp with dil. H2SO4. Then Oxalate ions are estimated
volumetrically by titrating the solution with standard
KMnO4 solution.

End Point:

Appearance of permanent pink colour.

Procedure:

1. 50.0g of fresh guava was weighed and crushed to

a fine pulp using pestle-mortar.
2. The crushed pulp was transferred to a beaker and
about 50ml dil. H2SO4 was added. The contents
were boiled for about 10 minutes.
3. The contents were filtered and cooled in 100ml
measuring flask. The volume was made up to
100ml by adding distilled water.
4. 20ml of this solution was taken into a titerating
flask and 20ml of dil. H2SO4 was added to it. The
mixture was heated to about 60°C and titerated
against the standard KMnO4 solution taken in a
burette
5. The process was repeated with different samples
of guava.
 Observations:
Weight of guava taken = 50.0 g

Volume of guava extract taken = 20.0 ml

Normality of KMnO4 solution =

Burette readings Concordant

Guava extract from volume of
Initial Final
KMnO4
Solution used
Fresh 0 50 50
1 day old 0 30 30
2 day old 0 15 15
3 day old 0 9 9
 Calculations

N1V1 = N2V2
(guava extract) (KMnO4 solution)
N1 x 20 = xV
∴ Normality of oxalate, N1 =

Strength of oxalate = Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate

ion

= x 44 g/litre of the diluted

extract.

Guava extract from Strength of oxalate ion

(g/litre)
Fresh 5.5
1 day old 3.3
2 day old 1.65
3 day old 0.99
 Conclusion

Oxalic acid and oxalates are abundantly present in

many plants, most notably in sour grass, and sorrel
(including Oxalis), roots and leaves of rhubarb and
buckwheat.

After doing this experiment we can conclude that

unripe guava has a high content of Oxalate ions. The
concentration of oxalate ions decreases with the
ripening of fruit.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
In order to complete this project, I took help from:
My chemistry teacher
Comprehensive Practical Chemistry (Lab Manual)
of Laxmi Publication
Different internet sites:
www.google.com
www.rain-tree.com
www.wikipedia.com