Temperature and pressure stability of L-ascorbic acid and/or [6s] 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid: A kinetic study

Processing (i.e. pressure and temperature) stability Of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) and/or [6S]-5-methy-1tetrahydrofolate ([6S]-5-CH3-H(4)folate) was studied on a kinetic basis using different vitamin and initial oxygen concentrations. Stability of both folate and L-AA was enhanced by increasing the vitamin concentration or by decreasing the oxygen concentration. Based on this study, it was concluded that (i) L-AA increased the folate stability during processing; (ii) the molar ratio between L-AA or folate and the initial oxygen content was an important parameter to determine the proportion of aerobic degradation; and (iii) the minimum concentration Of L-AA needed to prevent the oxidation of folate was at least 2 times as high as the molar concentration of the initial oxygen content when L-AA exists as a single antioxidant in the system.