5
$\begingroup$

I have read that vitamin C is highly sensitive to light. So, how could parsley, for instance keep its vitamin C as it's flooded with sunlight?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
3
$\begingroup$

UV light promotes the photo-oxidation of ascorbic acid (AsA) to dehydroascorbic acid (DHA).

enter image description here

DHA can be reduced to AsA by a specific dehydrogenase using reduced glutathione as reductant. I'm pretty sure that all cells are able to carry out this recycling of ascorbate.

Interestingly, in plants it appears that ascorbate acts as an electron donor to photosystem II (which is equivalent to it being oxidised).

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks a lot for that! So would it be correct to say that parsley only contains DHA? (Or most of it) (AsA should logically have been already reduced just after the DHA syntheses) $\endgroup$
    – JinSnow
    Commented Feb 7, 2014 at 18:42

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .