VITAMIN C CONTENT OF WALNUTS (PERSIAN) DURING GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

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Abstract
Chemical detns. were made of the content of vitamin C and spurious vitamin C (or reductones) in the developing commercial Persian walnut during the growing season of 2 consecutive yrs. Biological assays, with guinea pigs, of the same materials demonstrated the reliability of the chem. tests within the error of the animal test. On a moisture-free basis, the vitamin C in the growing walnut increased to a maximum of about 15% 40 days after blossoming, then decreased to 1-2% at maturity. On a per-walnut basis, the vitamin C increased with growth to a maximum of 0.6-0.8 g. at 80 days after blossoming, and then fell to 0.2 g. at maturity. At maturity the hulls contained 6 to 8% vitamin C on a dry weight basis. After 131 days of growth, the vitamin C was distributed in the following fashion: hull 52%, tissue underlying shell, 32%, shell 15%, and kernel 1%. Spurious vitamin C (or reductones) was estimated to represent less than 10% of the total apparent vitamin C (indophenol dye method).