Hello, first of all, I wish you a happy new year in 2024.
In this session, we will explain vitamin C, an ingredient that helps health.
Vitamin C is a very familiar ingredient to us.
Let me tell you a brief story about this ingredient!
History of Vitamin C
The lack of vitamin C and the resulting scurvy can already be found in prehistoric corpses. Perhaps it is because plant food was difficult to obtain by enduring the Ice Age. It was after the Neolithic Age, during the agricultural revolution, that humans began to receive enough vitamin C even in winter. However, the prevention and treatment of scurvy was forgotten again, even if it was discovered intermittently during the historical era. The discovery and scientific exploration of vitamins are only after the modern era. Sailors suffered from unknown diseases during the Age of Discovery. After navigating for a long time, the skin lost its elasticity, the mouth bled, and suffered from lethargy, leading to death in severe cases. This disease of unknown cause was called scurvy. Scurvy was a serious obstacle to the long voyage, with about 100 out of 160 sailors dying of scurvy by the time Vasco Dagama turned the Cape of Good Hope. In the late 18th century, James Lind, a military officer with the Royal Navy, experimented and discovered that providing fruits such as citrus fruits could prevent and treat scurvy. Later, the Royal Navy succeeded in containing scurvy by providing fruit so that no single sailor could develop scurvy while traveling the world. In the 20th century, Hungarian biochemist Albert Centzorge succeeded in extracting vitamin C crystals and published them in "Nature" in 1932, winning the Nobel Prize in Physiology for this achievement in 1937. In 1933, Walter Norman Haworth of England synthesized vitamin C using glucose as a material, paving the way for artificial production. < Source: Wikipedia >
Vitamin C Synthesis and Manufacturing Process
First, vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is one of the essential vitamins in the human body and is consumed in the form of food or supplements. The synthesis of ascorbic acid does not occur directly in the human body, but is mostly produced in animals and plants. The following is a brief description of the synthesis process in plants and animals, not the process in which vitamin C is synthesized in the human body.
A method of synthesizing vitamin C
1. absorption by glucose receptors
Animals and plants have black pixels (citric acid), and they synthesize ascorbic acid based on them. Black pixels are produced during the photosynthesis process that occurs in the chloroplasts of grapes or leaves.
2. conversion of glucose
When black pixels are formed, they are converted into glucose through the action of certain enzymes.
3. ascorbic acid synthesis
Glucose is then synthesized into ascorbic acid through the participation of various enzymes. This process is complex and requires the role of several enzymes.
the process of making vitamin C
1. glucose receptor extraction
The process of making vitamin C usually uses glucose. At first, the process of effectively extracting glucose is necessary. At this stage, you can get glucose from fruits, vegetables, or grapes.
2. Production of black pixels (citric acid)
Glucose is converted into black pixels through a series of chemical conversion processes. Black pixels are one of the key components of ascorbic acid.
3. ascorbic acid synthesis
After black pixels are formed, ascorbic acid is synthesized using various compounds and enzymes. These are compounds used to bond with oxygen.
4. Refining and crystallizing
After ascorbic acid is synthesized, it is purified and crystallized. This increases the purity and gives the desired form of vitamin C.
5. Packaging and distribution
The finally obtained vitamin C is distributed through proper packaging and storage conditions. At this stage, appropriate measures are taken for stability and effective preservation.
6. natural extraction of vitamin C
Vitamin C is obtained from a variety of foods. In particular, fruits (orange, strawberry, etc.), vegetables (parsley, broccoli, etc.), flowers, and rosehip (rose fruit) are natural sources of vitamin C. The natural extraction method is used to provide vitamin C in foods and supplements. Depending on the manufacturer and supplier, the manufacturing and extraction methods of vitamin C may vary slightly.
So far, we've learned about the history, manufacturing process, and synthesis of vitamin C. Thank you so much for reading this long article. See you again.