Liquid chromatographic determination of L-ascorbic acid in candies and soft drinks

The L-ascorbic acid (AsA) contents of candies and soft drinks available in the market were determined by liquid chromatography (LC). Samples are cleaned up on a disposable Sep-Pak C18 cartridge followed by reverse phase separation on an ODS column using a mobile phase of 0.1% phosphoric acid (pH 2.2). The AsA peak is detected on the basis of the UV absorption at 254 nm. The detection limit was 1 microgram/mL final concentration. Recoveries of AsA added at levels of 1-10 mg/g candy and 1-10 mg/10 mL soft drink were 99.2-101.7% with a coefficient of variation of 0.52-1.20% (n = 5). The present method allows rapid and accurate assays because it is a simple procedure compared with the official dye-titration method, and it is suitable for the routine analysis of AsA in selected candies and soft drinks.