Fruits: A potential source of vitamin c as essential human nutrition and immunity development: A review

Abstract

Understanding the importance of food habits to boost our immune system in the circumstances pandemic diseases is highly demanded. This review ensembles the role of Vitamin C in the immune system, its fruit sources, possibilities of losing it through preservation and attempts to resolve the higher end processing modules to rescue the losses. The importance of vitamin C in the biological system is through collagen formation, cartinine systhesis and seemingly antioxidant attributes. Widely available sources of Vitamin C, especially fruits are in abundance which is not fully and effectively utilized. Fruits belonging to families Rutaceae, Rosaceae and Myrtaceae are comparatively wealthier sources of Vitamin C. There are plentiful studies which present the abundance of Vitamin C in fruit sources. Fruits widespread in all habitats tropical, subtropical, temperate and arid zones start from Mango to Hazel nut are rich in Vitamin C. Due to the sensitivity of Vitamin C to heat, temperature, pH and many other factors it is almost lost while preservation. Retention of the most vulnerable and essential ascorbic acid in human immune system is of immediate, vital and indispensable need in current scenario. Attempts are being made with substantial success in areas of high pressure processing, microwave processing, and freeze drying methods in the retention of Vitamin C in processed fruits.