Browsing by Author "Akankwatsa, Marither"

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    A Comparative Study of Vitamin C Concentrations in Two Selected Wild Fruits in Itojo Sub-County Ntungamo District.
    (Kabale University, 2024) Akankwatsa, Marither
    The human body does not store vitamin C, making it essential to include vitamin C-rich fruits in daily diets for overall health. However, people residing in the rural areas of Itojo sub-county, Ntungamo District, lack access to commonly consumed fruits rich in vitamin C, such as oranges, lemons, and mangoes, as these fruits are typically available in urban market centers where they are sold. Furthermore, rural residents often lack the financial means to purchase such fruits from markets and supermarkets. This research aimed to investigate and compare the vitamin C concentrations in two selected wild fruits: Horn melon (Cucumis metuliferus) and Seed of heaven fruit (Aframomum spp.), which grow naturally in the rural areas of Itojo sub-county, Ntungamo District. The vitamin C concentrations in these fruits were determined through redox titration of vitamin extracts from the wild fruits against potassium iodate solution with a starch indicator. The volume of potassium iodate solution required to reach the endpoint was measured and recorded, allowing calculation of the vitamin C concentrations in the extracts obtained from the wild fruits. The study revealed that the vitamin C concentrations in three different varieties of Horn melon (X1, X2, and X3) were 7.02 mg/100g, 7.39 mg/100g, and 6.49 mg/100g, respectively. In comparison, the concentrations in three varieties of Seed of Heaven fruit (Y1, Y2, and Y3) were 23.23 mg/100g, 21.65 mg/100g, and 24.82 mg/100g, respectively. Thus, the study concluded that the vitamin C concentration in Seed of heaven fruit was nearly three times higher than that in Horn melon fruits.
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    A Comparative Study of Vitamin C Concentrations in Two Selected Wild Fruits in Itojo Sub-County Ntungamo District.
    (Kabale University, 2024) Akankwatsa, Marither
    The body does not store vitamin C, making it essential to include vitamin C-rich fruits in the daily diet for maintaining good health. In the rural areas of Itojo sub-county, Ntungamo District, access to commonly consumed vitamin C-rich fruits such as oranges, lemons, and mangoes is limited, as these fruits are typically available only in urban market centers where they are sold. Additionally, rural residents often lack the financial resources to purchase these fruits from markets and supermarkets. This research aimed to determine and compare the vitamin C concentrations in two selected wild fruits, Horn melon (Cucumis metuliferus) and Seed of heaven fruit (Aframomum spp), which grow in the wild in rural Itojo sub-county, Ntungamo District. The vitamin C concentrations in the two selected wild fruits were measured using redox titration, where vitamin extracts from the wild fruits were titrated against potassium iodate solution with a starch indicator. The average volume of potassium iodate solution at the endpoint was recorded and used to calculate the vitamin C concentrations in the fruit extracts. The study found that the vitamin C concentration in three varieties of Horn melon (X1, X2, and X3) was 7.02 mg/100g, 7.39 mg/100g, and 6.49 mg/100g respectively. In contrast, the three varieties of Seed of heaven fruit (Y1, Y2, and Y3) had vitamin C concentrations of 23.23 mg/100g, 21.65 mg/100g, and 24.82 mg/100g respectively. Consequently, the study concluded that the vitamin C concentration in Seed of heaven fruits is almost three times higher than that in Horn melon fruits.