ABSTRACT
Vitamin C is the generic term for l-ascorbic acid and its close molecular relatives. Biological activity is exhibited by l-ascorbate and dehydroascorbate, since dehydroascorbate can be reduced back to ascorbate. Diketogulonate has no biological vitamin C activity and its formation represents an irreversible loss of ascorbate; hence, the reason the essentiality of vitamin C. The classical deficiency disease of ascorbate lack is scurvy. Scurvy exhibits severe disruption of connective tissues because newly formed collagen and tissues are not structurally sound. Scurvy exhibits the most extreme ascorbate deficiency symptoms, but some symptoms may manifest before outright scurvy. The most common method of assessment of ascorbate status is serum, whole blood, urine, or leukocyte ascorbate levels. The richest dietary sources of ascorbate are fresh fruits and vegetables. Ingestion of high doses of aspirin, corticosteroids, tetracyclines, or oral contraceptives was associated with reduced serum and/or leukocyte levels of ascorbate.
