Evaluation of ascorbic acid (vitamin c), zinc, and copper contents (an antidote to covid-19 and other viral infections) in fruits commonly consumed in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

The Vitamin C, Zinc and Copper content of some fruits namely pineapple, tangerine, grape, lime, orange and watermelon available in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State market which are normally consumed by the people for refreshment, nutritional and therapeutic purposes were collected for chemical analysis. The Vitamin C content of the fresh fruit juices were determined by volumetric method. Vitamin C content for the fruits were as follows: Pineapple (4.54), Tangerine (2.80), Grape (10.13), Lime (11.18), Orange (7.50), and Watermelon (12.40) all in mg/100g. Copper and Zinc were analyzed using a Unicam 969 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer – Solar in the flame mode. The result for the Zinc values were as follows: Pineapple (1.57), Tangerine (0.70), Grape (0.20), Lime (2.38), Orange (0.80), and Watermelon (0.20). While that of Copper content were are as follows: Pineapple (0.87), Tangerine (0.05), Grape (0.06), Lime (0.31), Orange (0.29), and Watermelon (0.05) all in mg/100g. The Vitamin C content, Zinc and Copper values for the fruits compared well with the WHO daily recommended nutritional intake in some of the fruits, while others can only serve as supplements along with other sources of Vitamin C, Zinc and Copper. In general, Watermelon has the highest value of Vitamin C, while Tangerine has the lowest. Lime has the highest Zinc value while Watermelon and Grape has the lowest. The highest value for Copper was recorded in Pineapple, while the lowest was found in Watermelon and Tangerine.