Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello All,

Another idea I had for a project was to compare the amount of vitamin C and (possibly) antioxidants in organic and inorganic oranges to see whether one is actually healthier or not. I was wondering how you could determine the amount of Vitamin C and antioxidants. Any links that direct one on how to extract would be welcome, and any tips or help.

UPDATE; i have found vitamin c testing strips, so that is taken care of. Now i just need antioxidant testing strips, so links to those would be welcome. However, now my project sounds too incomplete, i need to expand more on this subject instead of just putting strips in and measuring the amount. Any ideas on expansion? Anything more I could do without it being WAY to complex? Thanks

Please help time is expiring. What else can I add to my project (Comparing vitamin C levels in organic and inorganic oranges) to expand upon it Please reply quickly.

Please keep all your posts in a single thread so we know what's been answered.

Comparing the vit C content of organic vs non-organic oranges is a good project in itself. You could take it a little further and compare vit C content in fresh vs frozen OJ, with or without pulp, or OJ vs grapefruit juice.

The antioxidant benefits of OJ are due to the vit C primarily, so measuring vit C levels should correspond directly to antioxidant activity. There are kits to measure antioxidant activity, but they are expensive and usually require access to lab equipment. Biological methods where you measure protective effects of antioxidants such as vit C on bacteria or yeasts can be done, but they would take some time to set up.

Hope this helps to answer your question,

Scibee

Hi there,

Here are some Science Buddies projects about measuring Vitamin C that might help you expand on your current project.
Which Orange Juice Has the Most Vitamin C? https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p044.shtml
Determining Vitamin C Amounts in Cooked Potatoes https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p024.shtml
Do Oranges Lose or Gain Vitamin C After Being Picked? https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p043.shtml
Vitamin C Levels in Bell Peppers During Various Stages of Ripeness https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p039.shtml

I hope that helps!

Heather