1. Open Education Resource: Vitamins- chemistry, sources and diseases
Work done as part of AICTE approved
FDP201x Pedagogy for Online and Blended Teaching-Learning Process
Lesson 4: Vitamin C – chemistry, sources and diseases
RC1128_Team 85
Dr. Zeenat N. Kashmiri, Department of Zoology
Dr. Sujata A. Mankar Department of Microbiology
OER on “Vitamins– chemistry, sources and diseases” by Department of Zoology and Microbiology, Dada Ramchand Bakhru Sindhu Mahavidyalaya, Nagpur (MS), India, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License. You are free to use, distribute and modify it, including for commercial purposes, provided you acknowledge the source and share-alike.
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2. Vitamin C Learning Objectives Target Audience Tags of OER
Able to classify different types of vitamins
Explain deficiency diseases cause by vitamins
Understand role of vitamins
Identify foods that contain vitamins we needs daily
Target Audience
Undergraduate student those who opt Biological Sciences as one of the subject
Tags of OER
Vitamins, water soluble vitamin, sources, RDA, deficiency, diseases
Tools used in OER Creation
Microsoft Power Point used to create presentation (ppt) to be uploaded on MOODLE site which is created as OER

3. Vitamin C Contents Introduction Chemistry of Vitamin C
Sources of Vitamin C
Recommendation (RDA)
Biochemical function
Diseases/Deficiency of Vitamin C
Practice questions
References

4. Vitamin C Introduction
Vitamin C or Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble versatile vitamin
Antiscorbutic factor is the original name for vitamin C
Easily destroyed by heat and oxygen
Serves as a cofactor to facilitate the action of an enzyme
Serves as an antioxidant
Solubility and storage
Absorbed directly into the blood
Circulate freely
Excreted in urine
Needed frequently
This vitamin plays an important role in human health and disease

5. Fig. Structures of Vitamin C and its related compounds
Chemistry of Vitamin C
Chemical structure of vitamin C resembles that of a monosaccharide
Acidic property of vitamin C due to enolic hydroxyl groups
It is strong reducing agent
L-ascorbic acid undergoes oxidation to form dehydroascorbic acid and this reaction is reversible
Both forms are biologically active
Oxidation of ascorbic acid is rapid in the presence of copper
Therefore, vitamin C becomes inactive if food is cooked in copper vessels.
Fig. Structures of Vitamin C and its related compounds

6. Vitamin C Sources of Vitamin C
Citrus fruits - oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tomatoes
Other fruits- gooseberry, strawberries, melon, papayas and mangoes
Vegetables- dark green vegetables like bell peppers and broccoli, potatoes,
cucumber

7. Vitamin C

8. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
Vitamin C
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
RDA Children - 30 mg/day
RDA Men - 90 mg/day
RDA Women - 75 mg/day
RDA Pregnant and lactating women -100 to 150 mg/day
Smokers mg/day
This vitamin is not stored in the body and needs replenishment almost daily

9. Vitamin C Biochemical functions
Collagen synthesis - Strengthens blood vessel walls, forms scar tissue, provides matrix for bone growth
Tyrosine metabolism – synthesis, helps prevent goiter
Bone formation
Tryptophan metabolism
Cholesterol metabolism
Folic acid metabolism
Synthesis of corticosteroid hormones in adrenal gland
Immunological functions - synthesis of immunoglobulins and increases phagocytic action of leucocytes
Cellular respiration

10. Vitamin C Other functions act as antioxidant
protects body from free radicals
provides resistance against common cold
helps in the healing of wounds
helps to keep gums healthy
enhances absorption of iron from vegetables, cereals and fruits
helps in the prevention of heart disease
helps prevent some forms of cancer
helps your body to fight infections
Ascorbic acid has become the most controversial vitamin in recent years. This is because of the claims and counter claims of the use of vitamin C in mega doses to cure everything from common cold to cancer.

11. Vitamin C Vitamin C Deficiency Deficiency disease is called ‘Scurvy’
Symptoms
spongy and sore gums, loose teeth, anemia, swollen joints, fragile blood vessels
decreased immuno competence
delayed wound healing
sluggish hormonal function of adrenal cortex and gonad
hemorrhage and osteoporosis

12. Vitamin C Deficiency Symptoms of Vitamin C Anemia
Weight loss and fatigue
Atherosclerotic plaques and pinpoint hemorrhages
Bone fragility and joint pain
Slow wound healing and frequent infections
Bleeding gums and loosened teeth
Muscle degeneration and pain, hysteria, and depression
Rough skin and blotchy bruises

13. Take a pause and answer the following question
Vitamin C
Take a pause and answer the following question
Practice Questions
1. Write down different sources of vitamin C .
2. What are different biochemical functions of vitamin C ?
3. What is RDA of vitamin C ?
4. Describe the diseases causes by deficiency of vitamin C.
5. Identify sources of food that contain vitamin C.
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14. Vitamin C References Biochemistry – Satyanarayana
Animal Physiology – M. P. Arora
Thomson learning

15. Vitamin C
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