Mechanism of degradation and discoloration reaction of L-ascorbic acid

The mechanisms of decomposition and coloration reaction of L-ascorbic acid are reviewed. At the initial stage of the decomposition, it can be classified roughly into oxidative and non-oxidative processes of decomposition. ASA forms furfural by being heated and decomposed in strong acid. The mechanism of the production of furfural at varying pH in acidic region was discussed. Furfural was produced through the enol form of 3-deoxy-L-pentosulose(3DP). 3DP seemed to be produced by two different routes: the one route consists of successive reactions from ASA through lactone ring-opening, dehydration, decarboxylation, to 3DP, and the other consists of reactions from the 3-keto form of ASA, through lactone ring-opening, decarboxylation, and dehydration, to the enol form of 3DP. ASA is easily reduced and decomposed through dehydro-ASA(DHA) by the presence of an oxidizing agent. The decomposition of DHA is discussed in cases of the systems of DHA alone, DHA and α-aminoacid, and DHA and amine. DHA was decomposed by the same reaction scheme as the decomposition of ASA and yielded 2-furoic acid. In the presence of an amino acid, DHA was decomposed by the Strecker decomposition, and yielded a red compound and a radical. In the presence of an amine, the discoloration reaction seemed to take place through radical reaction mechanism. The coloration reaction of ASA occurs in an acidic medium, and is accelerated by the oxidative process of decomposition. (Nishino, S.)