Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, though discovered in the 20th century, it has its initials in the 13th and 14th century due to outbreak of scurvy in seafarer. Along with being an antiscorbutic agent it has multitudinous salubrious roles in human beings which subsume antioxidant action, a cofactor in enzymatic activity, enhancing iron absorption, pivotal role in immunity, regeneration of vitamin E, etc. Vitamin C is even propitious in preventing and treating a large number of diseases including cardiovascular, ocular, cognitive and pulmonary diseases to name a few. Humans are inept to synthesize the vitamin and require an external source to fulfil the recommended daily allowance. The present review comprises of various biological aspects of vitamin C and its sources in fruits and vegetable.
Keywords:Ascorbic acid, L-gulonolactone oxidase, Antioxidant, Immunity, Collagen, Carnitine