Quantitative Comparison of Vitamin C in Citrus Fruits Found in Lithuania Markets

Abstract

This paper presents the latest scientific information on the importance of vitamin C for the body and the results of a quantitative study on vitamin C in citrus fruits. The aim of the study was to compare the vitamin C content of citrus fruits commercially available on Lithuanian marketplaces. The citrus fruits used for the study (oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, lemons) were purchased from different supermarkets in February and were imported from different countries. The high-performance liquid chromatography method was used for the determination of vitamin C. The highest levels of vitamin C were found in mandarins and grapefruits, the average – in oranges and the lowest – in lemons, but the levels of vitamin C in the same type of fruit varied, suggesting that they depend more on the country of origin of the fruit, the variety of the conditions of transport, storage and other factors.