2.

Properties
 CHEMICAL STRUTURE

• A primary antioxidant
remains in human plasma
• Asymmetrical six-carbon
atoms (C6H8O6)
• Molecular weight: 176 g/mol

Ascorbic acid
 CHEMICAL STRUTURE

Reduced form Oxidized form

Forms Vitamin-C Principal transporters

Sodium-coupled transporters 1 and
Reduced form Ascorbic acid (AA)
2 (SVCT1 and 2)
Glucose transporters 1, 3 and 4
Oxidized form Dehydroascorbic acid (DHA)
(GLUT1, 3 and 4)
 Physical
properties of
Melting point Solubility
190 – 192oC • Freely solube in water
(300 g/L at 20oC)
• Difficult in alcohol
(20 g/L at 20oC)
• Insolube in chloroform,
ether and benzene

Density Color
1.65 g/cm3 A clear colorless to
slightly yellow solution

Vitamin C
 Chemical properties

1 A dibasic acid (with 2 pKa value of 4.2 and 11.6)

2 Both enolic hydroxyl groups can dissociate

Vitamin C

3 Forming salts

4 A superior reducing agent

Chemical properties