Prescence of oxalate

ions in Guava

Chemistry investigatory project

by Danelle Fernandes

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Sunshine Worldwide Secondary School, Bainguinim,
Old Goa

Certificate
This certificate serves to confirm that the chemistry
project, titled "Prescence of oxalate ions in Guava", has
been accomplished successfully by Danelle Fernades of
Class XII as part of the CBSE curriculum, leading to
the conferment of the All India Senior School
Certificate Examination for the academic year 2023-24.

Internal Examiner External Examiner

Principal School Stamp / Seal

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am immensely grateful for the opportunity
to work on this project titled “Prescence of
oxalate ions in Guava ” and would like to
express my sincere appreciation to my
chemistry teacher Mrs. Reshmi Pai and lab
attendant Mrs. Pragati whose guidance and
support have been invaluable. Their
feedback and suggestions have significantly
contributed to improving the project's
overall quality.I would also like to extend
my gratitude to my parents, family members,
and friends, who have provided unwavering
support throughout this endeavor.

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CONTENTS
1. Acknowledgement
2. Introduction
3. Theory
4. Aim
5. Apparatus
6. Procedure
7. Precautions
8. Observations
9. Calculations
10. Result
11. Conclusion
12. Bibliography

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INTRODUCTION
Guava is a common fruit Guava is a common sweet fruit found
in India and many other places which contains about 100 species
of tropical shrub.On ripening it turns yellow in color.Rich in
vitamin C, this fruit is a rich source of oxalate ions whose content
varies during different stages of ripening.It is a carboxylic acid,
primarily found in plants and animals. It is not an essential
molecule andis excreted from our body, unchanged.Our body
either produces oxalate on its own or converts other molecules
like Vitamin C tooxalate. External sources like food also
contribute to the accumulation of oxalate in our body.

THEORY
Oxalate ions are extracted from the fruit by boiling pulp with dilute
H2SO 4 . The oxalate ions are estimated volumetrically by titrating
the solution with potassium permanganate solution.

Molecular EQUATIONS
2KMnO4 +3H2 SO4 ---> K 2SO 4 + 2MnSO 4 + 2H2 O + 4[O]
HCOO-COOH.2H 2O ---> 2CO 2 + 2H 2O X5
net equation :- 3KMnO4 + 3H 2 SO 4 + 5HOOC-COOH. 2H 2 O ---> K2 SO 4 + 2MnSO 4 + 18H 2O + 10CO 2

IONIC EQUATIONS
MnO4- + 16H+ + 5e- ---> Mn2++ 4H 2 O x2
C2 O4 ---> 2CO2 + 2e-
x5 2+
net equation:- 2MnO4- + 16H + + 5C2 O4 ---> 2Mn + 8H2 O + 10CO 2

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AIM
To study the presence of oxalate ions in guava fruit
at different stages of ripening.

APPARATUS
1. Weigh 50g of fresh guava and crush it to fine pulp using
pestle and mortar.
2. Transfer the pulp to beaker and add about 50ml dilute
sulphuric acid to it.
3. Boil the content for 10 minutes. Cool and filter the contents
in a 100ml measuring flask.
4. Increase the volume upto 100ml by adding distilled water.
5. Take out 20ml of the solution from the flask and add 20ml
of dilute sulphuric acid to it .
6. Heat the mixture to 60 degree celcius and titrate it against
potassium permanganate solution taken in burette till end
point had an appearance of pink colour.
7. Repeat the above experiment for 1 day,2 day and 3 day old
guava.

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 PRECAUTIONS
(1)There should be no parallax while taking measurements.
(2)Spillage of chemicals should be checked
(3)Avoid the use of a burette with a rubber tap as KMnO 4
attacks rubber.
(4)In order to get some idea of the temperature of the
solution touch the flask with the back side
of your hand, when it becomes unbearable to touch then the
temperature is reached .
(5)Add an equal volume of dil H 2 SO 4to the guava extract to

be titrated before adding KMnO 4.

(6)Read the upper meniscus while taking burette reading
with KMnO 4 solution.

(7)In case on addition of KMnO 4 a brown ppt appears then

this shows that either H2 SO4 has not been added or has
been added in an insufficient amount. In such a case throw
away the solution and titrate again

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OBSERVATIONS
1. Weight of guava for each time was 50g.
2. Volume of guava extract for each titration was 10ml.
3. Normality of KMnO 4 solution was (1/10).
4. End point : colour changes to pink

CALCULATIONS
1) For raw guava
N1V1=N2V2
N1 X 10 = 1/10 x 132
N1= 1.32
Strength of oxalate in fresh guava extract = normality x Eq mass of
oxalate ion
= 1.32/100 x 44g/litre of diluted extract=0.581g/L

2) For semi ripened guavaStrength of oxalate in 1 day old guava

extract
= 1.37/100 x 44g/litre of diluted extract
= 0.603g/L

3) For ripened guava

Strength of oxalate in ripened guava extract = 1.39/100 x 44g/litre of
diluted extract
= o.612g/L
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RESULT

1) The strength of oxalate ions of

a) Fresh guava solution is = 0.58 gL-1
b) Semi ripened guava solution is = 0.6 gL-1
c) Ripened guava solution is = 0.61 gL-1

CONCLUSION
a)The content of oxalate ion in guava was found to be 59.67%.
b)It was noticed that the content of oxalate ion grows with ripening of
guava

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Comprehensive chemistry lab manual
www.Google.com
www.lcbse.com

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