Simple and rapid spectrophotometric and titrimetric methods for the determination of ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical preparations

Abstract

Ascorbic acid in pharmaceutical preparations can be determined by either spectrophotometric or titrimetric methods by its reaction with ferricinium trichloroacetate at pH 3. The latter is quantitatively reduced to ferrocene. This is extracted by chloroform and its concentration calculated from the absorbance at 440 nm. Alternatively, an aqueous solution of ascorbic acid is titrated with that of the blue ferricinium salt which acts as an indicator. Vitamins, minerals, hormones, dextrose and coloured additives do not interfere with the reaction. Both methods are simple, rapid and sensitive.