What is Ascorbic Acid Used For?
Commonly referred to as vitamin C, ascorbic acid is a critical biologically active substance that plays a vital role in human health. However, ascorbic acid vitamin C is essential in various industrial usages, ranging from the food industry to agriculture, skincare, pharma, and many more.
What is Ascorbic Acid?
Ascorbic acid is a vitamin that is water-soluble, 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid, and is found in a wide range of foods. Some of the key ascorbic acid-rich foods that contain high amounts of this element include citrus fruits like oranges, green and red peppers, kiwis, broccoli, strawberries, tomatoes, and cantaloupe. However, it is also manufactured in larger quantities for industrial uses for its functionality as an antioxidant. This element is highly polar and acidic and helps the cells in a person’s body to overcome damage that is caused by free radicals.
There are two types of ascorbic acid varieties which perform different functions and offer varied benefits to the users. These varieties include:
L ascorbic acid: This is the type of ascorbic acid which is commonly found in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, and animal tissues. It is this variety which extensively exists in a biologically active form, and plays an essential role in boosting human health by impacting the synthesis of collagen, improving immune function, and offering an antioxidant defense.
D ascorbic acid: This type of ascorbic acid is found in very small quantities in natural foods, and is an isomer of the ascorbic acid. Moreover, it is not in food as vitamin C, which is used as an antioxidant and helps protect food from oxidation. Contrary to the L-ascorbic acid, this variation does not possess any nutritional advantages.
Ascorbic Acid Mechanism of Action
Ascorbic acid possesses a unique combination of characteristics that make it such a potent and useful compound. It is an antioxidant with powerful reducing properties, because of which it effectively minimizes the impact of oxygen- and carbon-centered free radicals. Oxygen- and carbon-centered free radicals are common compounds that are produced by external environmental factors as well as through normal bodily metabolic processes, and lead to oxidative stress, in turn harming the DNA and proteins in one’s body. Ascorbic acid antioxidant plays the role of a neutralizer, thereby protecting one against the damage caused by these elements.
Similarly, this property of preventing oxidation makes ascorbic acid so popular in food uses, saving food products from oxidative damage. It is used widely for preventing the browning of fruits and veggies which happens due to enzymatic processes, and for protecting the texture and color of meats. Moreover, ascorbic acid helps in the regeneration of antioxidants like tocopherol because of its reducing properties and helps in protecting sensitive elements such as folic acid from oxidative damage.
However, ascorbic acid tends to be sensitive to certain conditions such as heat alkalinity and irregular oxygen levels. Under these conditions which can easily occur during food processing, ascorbic acid can easily degrade which directly impacts its effectiveness as a food preservative and antioxidant.
Further reading： What Is The Main Use Of Ascorbic Acid E300？
What Does Ascorbic Acid Do?
So why exactly is ascorbic acid so popular in industrial applications? Since it offers versatile functions and fulfills diverse purposes, it is extensively used in a diverse range of Industries some of which we will cover below.
The Food Industry: The key area of utilization of ascorbic acid in an industrial setting is the food industry. Ascorbic acid as a food additive performs a myriad of functions for a diverse range of products making it a widely utilized element by manufacturers of varied types of foods.
1. One of the key uses of ascorbic acid powder within this industry is in the form of an additive to be used in non-acidic foods. What this means is that foods that are not acidic but require an additive for preservation benefit from the addition of ascorbic acid food additive because it not only helps in the preservation of the food but also helps in maintaining its nutritional content as well as appearance without hampering its texture or taste. Because ascorbic acid is a preservative it helps in preventing spoilage due to oxidative damage and contributes to prolonging the shelf life of the foods to which it is added.
2. Processing of fruits and vegetables is another critical area where ascorbic acid in food plays a vital role. When fruits and vegetables are cut during the processing practices they are exposed to air which triggers enzymatic action which leads the fruits and vegetables to brown very quickly. The browning is a result of an oxidative process of the polyphenolic compounds which leads to the formation of the browning pigments. In these foods, ascorbic acid plays a critical role by inhibiting this process thereby ensuring that the browning action is prevented for a long time. This helps in maintaining the freshness, flavor, as well as color of the fruits and vegetables keeping them safe for consumption for a very long duration.
3. Products such as cured meats are highly susceptible to oxidative damage and spoilage which results in impaired or hampered flavor, texture, as well as quality of the meat. In these products, ascorbic acid for food acts as a reducing agent minimizing the free radicals and slowing down the oxidation process thereby enhancing the shelf life, flavor, as well as texture and quality of the meats. Moreover, in other types of meat products, ascorbic acid also plays a critical role in maintaining color, flavor, and elasticity and preventing hemoglobin browning due to oxidative processes.
The Cosmetics Industry: Apart from the food industry, ascorbic acid powder also finds extensive applications within the skincare and cosmetics sectors. This is because ascorbic acid for skin is a key element that helps in promoting the synthesis of collagen- a vital protein that is responsible for enhancing the elasticity of the skin and accelerating wound healing. As such, collagen is a vital and popular ingredient for a wide range of beauty products including anti-aging products, whitening products, and products created to tackle issues like dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Because of its antioxidant properties, ascorbic acid helps protect skin against oxidative damage and helps it recover from damage quicker.
The Agriculture Sector: Ascorbic acid’s applications also extend to the agricultural sector whereby it is an essential compound in plants. In this position, ascorbic acid for plant growth contributes to redox reactions which promote plant metabolism.
In Medical Uses: Ascorbic acid is widely used in medical applications, whereby an ascorbic acid supplement is provided orally to help prevent deficiencies. This is essential because an ascorbic acid deficiency leads to the onset of scurvy, which is the result of improper collagen synthesis.
In the Aquatic Industry: Ascorbic acid also plays an important role in the health of aquatic animals. Within this realm, ascorbic acid is used to boost the immunity of fish, shrimp, and other animals. It helps minimize external stress on these animals and helps with the synthesis of collagen, which impacts the skeletal muscle, connective tissues, and nervous system in these animals.
For Pets: Your pets also leverage the benefit of ascorbic acid as it helps them in scavenging free radicals, and in addition to this, also helps in protecting the cells in their body from oxidative stress and deterioration. Furthermore, because of its role in collagen synthesis, ascorbic acid also helps in ensuring healthier skin as well as coats of the pets, while also boosting their immune system due to the vitamin C features.
Conclusion
Given the plethora of functions it performs, ascorbic acid is highly sought after by diverse industries. However, when considering the ascorbic acid purchase, it is essential to ensure that one procures the best ascorbic acid to get the best output for their purpose. Whether it is for food manufacturing, cosmetics, skincare, healthcare, agriculture, or animal-related uses, finding the best ascorbic acid is key to success. Mondstar is a globally present supplier of high-quality food additives. To learn more about the range of additives we offer, connect with our team today.
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