Co-existence of oxidizing and protective mechanisms for vitamin C in plant tissues

Abstract

Vitamin C occurs exclusively in the reduced state in fresh vegetables. Although enzymes and copper, which oxidize the vitamin, are widely distributed in plants, the vitamin is not oxidized. It would appear, therefore, that there must be some mechanism in plants which prevents the oxidation of the vitamin. Although the existence of such protective mechanism has been established in animal tissues, it has not been shown to be of such wide occurrence in plants.