Determination and Comparison of Vitamin C Content in Fresh Fruit Juices Using HPLC: A Case Study in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Abstract

Vitamin C, also known as L-ascorbic acid, is a vital micronutrient for human health, involved in immune system function, carnitine and catecholamine metabolism, iron absorption, and collagen production, which helps hold cells together. This study aims to quantify and compare the vitamin C content in six different fruit samples: carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), apple (Malus domestica), guava (Psidium guajava L. Meer), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis), Pursat orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck), and fresh sugarcane juice (Saccharum officinarum) using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). A standard curve was prepared using L-ascorbic acid solutions at concentrations ranging from 10.0 to 200.0 µg/mL, showing excellent linearity with an R² value of 0.9996. Accuracy was expressed as percent recovery, ranging between 80% and 120%, while the %RSD was below 5%, indicating high precision and reliability of the method. Among the tested samples, guava (Psidium guajava L. Meer) had the highest vitamin C concentration at 88.736 mg/mL, whereas apple (Malus domestica) and carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) showed the lowest levels. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), vitamin C intake at moderate levels ranging from 30 to 180 mg per day, the absorption efficiency of vitamin C is estimated to be between 70% and 90%. These findings highlight guava and Pursat orange as rich dietary sources of vitamin C, supporting their potential role in meeting daily nutritional requirements.