DEPARTMENT OF PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY

Visayas State University

Visca, Baybay City, Leyte

Name: Margaux Christelle S. Cadao Date Performed: October 22, 2019

Lab. Schedule: TTh 4:00-7:00 pm Date Submitted: November 5, 2019
Group No. 4 Rating:

Experiment No. 8
Vitamins

I. INTRODUCTION

Vitamins are complex organic molecules required in small amounts by the body in order to
maintain health and well‐being. An organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when the
organism cannot synthesize the compound in sufficient quantities, and it must be obtained through
the diet; thus, the term "vitamin" is conditional upon the circumstances and the particular organism.

Vitamins C and B-complex are widely known as soluble in water. On the other hand, Vitamins
A, D, E, and K are not. They are fat soluble vitamins. The difference of their solubility was because
of the polarity of its structure. Vitamins C and B-complex were polar substances and thus, dissolved
in water which was a polar solvent. Vitamins A, D, E, K were nonpolar substances and have no
affinity with water. This held true with “Like dissolves like”.

II. DISCUSSION

Vitamins have diverse biochemical functions. Some, such as vitamin D, have hormone-like
functions as regulators of mineral metabolism, or regulators of cell and tissue growth and
differentiation (such as some forms of vitamin A). Others function as antioxidants (e.g., vitamin
E and sometimes vitamin C). The largest number of vitamins, the B complex vitamins, function as
precursors for enzyme cofactors, that help enzymes in their work as catalysts in metabolism. In other
cases vitamins may be tightly bound to enzymes as part of prosthetic groups.
Ascorbic acid, popularly known as Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant needed by the human
body in order to nullify free radicals which may lead to cancer. This vitamin is naturally occurring in
fruits and vegetables. In the experiment, determination of the amount of Vitamin C content was done
using redox titration with iodine. Vitamin C was a reducing agent and as iodine was added during the
titration, vitamin C was oxidized to dehydroxyascorbic acid and the iodine was reduced to iodide
ions.
The conducted experiment primarily focused on the key concepts of vitamins and their
properties and characteristics on different solvents. Vitamin C being the focal vitamin in the
experimental procedure has been tested for its stability at high temperature. Determination of the
amounts of vitamin C in fruit juices was also conducted.

A. Vitamin Solubilities

Samples of available vitamins were tested on polar (water) and non-polar (methylene
chloride) solvents to determine their respective solubilities. In a deeper aspect, the solubility of a
vitamin can be determined through examining their molecular structure. The following shows the
structures of some vitamins used in the procedure.
 The solubility of organic molecules is often summarized by the phrase, like dissolves like. This
means that molecules with many polar groups are more soluble in polar solvents, and molecules with
few or no polar groups (i.e., nonpolar molecules) are more soluble in nonpolar solvents. Hence,
vitamins are either water-soluble or fat-soluble (soluble in lipids and nonpolar compounds),
depending on their molecular structures. Based on the previous figures it showed that Vitamin B and
C contains polar groups such as the presence of multiple hydroxyl groups in vitamin C and the
presence of several nitrogen in Vitamin B that are highly capable of hydrogen bonding in polar
solvents like water. And this is why Vitamins B and C are considered as the water-soluble vitamins.
The other vitamins D, E and K are fat soluble because their structural composition is mostly
composed of non polar chains hence, are soluble in nonpolar solvents such as methylene chloride.

B. Standardization of Vitamin C

In this part, a vitamin C tablet that contains a known amount of vitamin C was titrated with a
solution of iodine to determine what volume of iodine is needed to react with the given mass of
vitamin C. Following the procedure, acetic acid and starch indicator was added to the amount of
vitamin C before it was titrated with iodine. The titration was terminated until the deep blue color of
iodine starch complex persisted for about 30seconds. With the obtained values the amount of
milligrams of vitamin C oxidized per milliliter of iodine solution used was then calculated. The total
amount of vitamin C (100mg) was then divided by the volume of iodine required to reach end point
(9.2 mL) and the final result was that 10.87 mg of the vitamin C reacts with 1 mL of the iodine
solution. This quantity was used as a conversion factor to determine the vitamin C content of other
samples.

In this reaction, the vitamin C is oxidized and the iodine is reduced to iodide ion. Iodine
forms a blue-black complex with starch. However, when iodine was added to a solution that contains
both starch and vitamin C, the iodine reacted with the vitamin C first. The ascorbic acid (vitamin C,
C6H 8O6) quickly reacts to reduce iodine to iodide, destroying the vitamin C in the process. When
the vitamin C was completely used up, the next drop of iodine reacts with starch, turning the solution
blue. The appearance of this color indicates that the vitamin C has been completely consumed and the
endpoint of titration has been reached.

C. Determination of Vitamin C in Fruit Juices

In this part of the experiment, samples of different commercial juices were titrated with
iodine. Based on the amount of iodine needed to react with each one, the vitamin C content of each
type of juice can be calculated. Shown below were the values obtained from the experiment and the
solutions for calculating the amount of vitamin C present in the samples.

*Standardized value = 10.87 mg Vitamin C/mL iodine

Zest-O Apple Juice
Mass of Vitamin C = Volume of iodine used x standardized value
Mass of Vitamin C = 0.9 mL x 10.87 mg Vit. C/mL iodine
Mass of Vitamin C = 9.783 mg Vitamin C

Orange Juice 1
Mass of Vitamin C = 1.5 mL x 10.87 mg Vit. C/mL iodine
Mass of Vitamin C = 16.305 mg Vitamin C
Orange Juice 2
Mass of Vitamin C = 1.3 mL * 10.87 mg Vit. C/mL iodine
Mass of Vitamin C = 14.131 mg Vitamin C

From the calculations above it was shown that the solution of Orange Juice 1 provided the
highest amount of vitamin C among the other fruit juices. If this were to be applied to the daily
recommended intake of vitamin C, which is rated at around 60mg, then the samples as listed above
would have to be taken in different amounts, and these are calculated accordingly below:

Zest-O Apple Juice

Mass of sample needed = Recommended daily intake / mass of vitamin C in sample
Mass of sample needed = 60 mg / 9.78 mg
Mass of sample needed = 6.13 mg

Orange Juice 1
Mass of sample needed = 60 mg / 16.31 mg
Mass of sample needed = 3.68 mg

Orange Juice 2
Mass of sample needed = 60 mg / 14.13 mg
Mass of sample needed = 4.25 mg

III. CONCLUSION

Therefore, the experiment successfully grants the necessary information on how to classify
vitamins in terms of their solubility not only by testing it to solvents of known polarity but also by
examining its structure. The experiment has also established familiarization on the techniques used in
the determination of the amount of a certain vitamin in certain foodstuffs such as fruit juices.
Therefore, the experimental procedure has elaborated limited understanding upon the properties and
the acquired characteristics of the organic molecule, vitamin.

Vitamins B-complex and C were water soluble vitamins while vitamins A, D, E, K were fat
soluble vitamins. Vitamin C is found in fruits such as orange, and apple. The amount of vitamin C
present in a gram orange, and apple fruit juice were 16.305 mg and 14.131mg, and 9.783mg
respectively.

IV. REFRENCES

Determination of Vitamin C Concentration by Titration.pdf

Vitamin C Content of Fruit Juice.pdf

Garrett Biochemistry 5th c2013 textbook

Fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195878.php

Nutrients and Solubility Solubility Product Experiment.
http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Vitamins/vitamins.html
RESULTS

A. Vitamin Solubilities

Name of Vitamin Solubility in Type of Vitamin

Water Methylene Chloride (Water or Fat
Soluble)
Vitamin A  Fat Soluble
Vitamin B1+B6+B12  Water Soluble
Vitamin C  Water Soluble
Vitamin D  Fat Soluble
Vitamin E  Fat Soluble

B. Standardization of Vitamin C

Data
Mass of Flask 114.77 g
Mass of Flask and Vitamin C 114.89 g
Initial Biuret Reading 20
Final Biuret Reading 29.2
Calculations
Mass of Vitamin C (mg) 100 mg
Volume of Iodine Solution 9.2 mg
mg Vitamin C/1mL iodine solution 10.87 mg/mL

C. Determination of Vitamin C in Fruit Juice

Sample Biuret Reading Volume of iodine Mass of Vitamin

Initial (mL) Final (mL) (mL) C (mg)
Zest-O Apple juice 44 43.3 0.9 9.783
Orange juice 40 38.5 1.5 16.305
Orange juice 38.5 37.2 1.3 14.131