AIM

In this project, we will learn to test for the presence of oxalate ions in
the guava fruit and how its amount varies during different stages of
ripening.
 WHY DID I CHOOSE
THIS TOPIC?
The reason for me to choose this topic was to make people aware about the
consumption of guava, consuming guava more than needed can lead to death
and consuming guava in proper quantity can nourish us with nutrients. Guava is
a one of the perfect food for nourishing ourselves with, guava in unripened
state has more nutrients then ripened state. Guava contains calories
68,carbohydrate 14.32g,fibre 5.4g, fats 0.95g,protein 2.55g,vitaminC 275%
( daily recommended intake), folate 12% (daily recommended intake),vitaminB5
9% (daily recommended intake),
 CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 REQUIREMENTS
 THEORY
 CHEMICAL EQUATIONS
 PROCEDURE
 PRECAUTIONS
 OBSERVATIONS
 CALCULATIONS
 RESULT
 CONCLUSION
 PRECAUTION
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
Guava is sweet, juicy and light or dark green coloured fruit. It is
cultivated in all parts of India. When ripe it acquires yellow colour and
has penetrating strong scent. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and
minerals. It is a rich source of oxalate and its content in the fruit varies
during different stages of ripening.

Guava fruit, usually 4 to 12 cm long, are round or oval depending on

the species. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or
soft and sweet. Varying between species, the skin can be any thickness,
is usually green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green
when ripe.
Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar to
lemon rind but less sharp. Guava pulp may be sweet or sour, off-white
("white" guavas) to deep pink ("red" guavas), with the seeds in the
central pulp of variable number and hardness, again depending on
species
 REQUIREMENTS
MATERIALS REQUIRED
 100 ml Measuring Flask
 Pestle and Mortar
 Beaker
 Titration Flask
 Funnel
 Burette
 Pipette
 Weight-Box
 Filter Paper
 Guava fruit at different stages of ripening

CHEMICALS REQUIRED
 Dilute H2SO4
 N/20 KMnO4 solution
 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.

Titration is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical

analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of a
known reactant. Because volume measurements play a key role in
titration, it is also known as volumetric analysis. A reagent, called the
titrant or titrator, of a known concentration (a standard solution) and
volume is used to react with a solution of
the analyte or titrand, whose concentration is not known. Using a
calibrated burette or chemistry pipetting syringe to add the titrant, it is
possible to determine the exact amount that has been consumed when
the endpoint is reached. The endpoint is the point at which the titration
is complete, as determined by an indicator (see below). This is ideally
the same volume as the equivalence point—the volume of added titrant
at which the number of moles of titrant is equal to the number of moles
of analyte, or some multiple thereof (as
in polyprotic acids). In the classic strong acid-strong base titration, the
endpoint of a titration is the point at which the pH of the reactant is
just about equal to 7, and often when the solution takes on a
persisting solid colour as in the pink of phenolphthalein indicator.
WHAT IS OXALATE?
Oxalate is an organic acid, primarily found in plants, animals and humans.
It is not an essential molecule and is excreted from our body in an
unchanged form. Our body either produces oxalate on its own or it
converts other molecules like vitamin C to oxalate. External sources like
the foods we eat also contribute to the accumulation of oxalate in our
body. The oxalate present in the body is excreted in our urine as a waste.
Too much of oxalate in our urine, results in a medical condition called as
hyperoxaluria, commonly referred to as kidney stones. Diet is looked upon
as a preventive measure in addition to medicines to treat kidney stones.
Read more on what causes kidney stones.
 CHEMICAL EQUATIONS
Molecular Equations

2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 2H2O + 4[O]

HOOC-COOH.2H2O +[O] 6 07 0 2CO2 + 2H2O x 5

 
o
C
 

3KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 +5 HOOC-COOH.2H2O

K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 18H2O + 10CO2

Ionic Equations

MnO4- +16H+ + 5e- Mn2+ + 4H2O x2

C2O4 2CO2 + 2e- x 5

2MnO4- + 16H+ + 5C2O42- 2Mn2+ +8H2O + 10CO2

 PROCEDURE
1. Weigh 50.0g of fresh guava and crush it to a fine pulp using pestle- mortar.
2. Transfer the crushed pulp to beaker and add about 50 ml dil. H2SO4 to it
3. Boil the contents for about 10 minutes.
4. Cool and filter the contents in a 100 ml measuring flask. Make the volume
upto 100 ml by adding distilled water
5. Take 20 ml of the solution from the measuring flask into a titration flask
and add 30 ml of dilute sulphuric acid to it.
6. Heat the mixture to about 60°C and titrate it against N/20 KMnO4 solution
taken in a burette. The end point is appearance of permanent light-pink
colour.
7. Repeat the above experiment with 50.0 g of 1, 2 and 3 days old guava
fruit.
 OBSERVATIONS
Weight of guava fruit taken each time = 50.0 g
Volume of guava extract taken in each titration = 20.0 ml
1
Normality of KMnO4 solution = N
20

Guava extract Initial reading Final reading Volume of the

From of the burette of the burette N/20 KMnO4
solution (ml)
Fresh Guava 150 18 132

One Day Old 150 13 137

Guava
 CALCULATIONS
For fresh guava

N 1V 1 = N 2V 2
(Guava extract) (KMnO4 solution)

N1 x 10 = 1
x 𝑥
20

Normality of oxalate, N1 = 𝑥 200

Strength of oxalate in fresh guava extract

= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
𝑥
= x 44 g/L of the diluted extract
200

Similarly, calculate the strength of oxalate in 1, 2 and 3 days old guava

extract and interpret the result.

For One day old guava

N 1V 1 = N 2V 2
(guava extract) (KMnO4 solution)

N1 x 10 = 1
x 𝑥
20

Normality of oxalate, N1 = 𝑥 200

Strength of oxalate in one day guava extract

= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
𝑥
= x 44 g/L of the diluted extract
200

Similarly, calculate the strength of oxalate in 1, 2 and 3 days old guava

extract and interpret the result.
 RESULT
Hence, the above experiment confirms concentration of
the oxalate ion increases with ripening
 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 buck
wheat.

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.
 PRECAUTIONS
1. KMnO4 solution is always taken in the burette.
2. Avoid the use of burette having a rubber tap as KMnO4 attacks rubber.
3. In order to get some idea about the temperature of the solution touch the
flask to the back side of your hand. When it becomes unbearable to touch,
the required temperature is reached.
4. Add about an equal volume of dil. H2SO4 to the guava extract to be
titrated (say a full test tube) before adding KMnO4 .
5. Read the upper meniscus while taking burette reading with
KMnO4 solution.
6. In case, on addition of KMnO4 a brown ppt. appears, this shows
that either H2SO4 has not been added or has been added in
insufficient amount. In such a case, throw away the solution and
titrate again.
7. The concentration of oxalate ion obtained from the filtrate is
unfavourably high. If the titration is carried with concentrated
filtrate, the scale of the burette is out of scope in regard to the
concentration of the oxalate ion. So diluting the concentrated
filtrate to an appropriate proportion and titrating it with KMnO4
and estimating the end point will make it favourable. After
estimating the end from the diluted solution, the original
concentration of the concentrated filtrate can be calculated by
multiplying the concentration the estimated filtrate with the
factor by which it was diluted.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Chemistry lab manual
2. Chemistry Modern abc+
3. www.wikipedia.com
4. www.academia.edu
5. www.weebly.com
6. www.scribd.com