The document examines the potential interactions between ascorbic acid (AA) and sodium benzoate (SB), common food additives, using UV-Vis spectroscopy. It finds that AA and SB do not interact or form new products at minimal concentrations but do incorporate into one another, as shown by a red shift in absorbance peaks as AA concentration increased in SB solutions. Neither sunlight nor temperatures below 310K caused new peak formation or a significant shift. Adding recommended levels of AA to a soft drink did not produce new peaks, but higher AA amounts caused a noticeable red shift, suggesting caution with high AA and SB combinations.

1. Understanding the effect of
simultaneous consumption of
carbonated soft drinks with
vitamin C
Femi F Oloye

2. Possible interactions between common food additives
Research question: Can food additives interact?
The possibility of this reaction will be unravel using UV-Vis Spectroscopy

3. The shift in position of maximum
absorbance is an indication of interactions
between two compounds
 Hyperchromic or hypochromic
with a new band indicates
formation of new compounds
 Red or blue shifts indicates
incorporation of one
compounds into another

4. Spectroscopy is a common method to
monitor chemical reaction that occurred
when two or more chemical interacts
together
UV radiations are absorbed by different
compounds at different wavelengths
because of electronic transition that
occurs within the π-conjugated molecules

5. AA (mol/dm3) (CSB + CAA)-1 λmax (nm)
0.011 40.180 298±0.001
0.023 27.109 299.5±0.001
0.034 20.882 300±0.002
A representative yield and maximum absorbance of varied
concentration of AA in 0.0139 moldm-3 SB in water (n = 3)
Spectra obtained from varied
concentration of AA in 0.0139 moldm-
3 SB in water
Uv-Vis Spectrophotometer a simple and non-destructive technique
No classical chemical study can give as much information as the spectroscopic studies, in
a very short time without destroying the compound
A red shift?

6. Temperature (K) λmax±SD (nm) Absorbance ±SD (nm)
298 298±0.0010 2.8504 ±0.0194
300 298±0.0008 2.8302±0.0200
303 298.5±0.0009 2.8501±0.0195
306 299±0.0011 2.8102±0.0220
309 299.5±0.0010 2.8583±0.0190
312 301±0.0012 2.9242±0.0010
Effect of temperature on SB (0.014 M) with AA (0.011 M) in
water (n = 3)
Will temperature initiates reactions between food preservatives?
No significant shift
Red Shift
No significant change in absorbance

7. -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
lab condition
Sunlight
Absorbance
Time / min
Sodium benzoate (0.2 g/ml) with ascorbic acid (0.4 g/ml) under sunlight
irradiation and normal lab condition (n = 3).
Does sunlight affects the additives?
Sunlight did not initiate chemical
reaction or incorporation of
chemicals into one another after a
few hours.
Prolong exposure to sunlight might
cause interactions

8. Will addition of extra dose initiate reactions?
200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
Absorbance
Wavelength / nm
Fanta
0.1 g
0.2 g
0.3 g
0.4 g
0.5 g
UV spectra of Fanta (100 mL) with
varied concentration of ascorbic acid
Ascorbic Acid (g) λmax (nm) Λ (nm)
0.0 287.5 (0.5449±0.011)* 481.5 (0.6372 ±0.01)*
0.1 288.5 (1.6600±0.012)* 481.5 (0.7019±0.01)*
0.2 290.0 (1.7753±0.013)* 481.5 (0.5756±0.02)*
0.3 290.5 (1.8770±0.011)* 481.5 (0.6262±0.01)*
0.4 291.0 (1.9430±0.012)* 481.5 (0.5867±0.02)*
0.5 294.0 (2.0800±0.011)* 481.5 (0.6464±0.02)*
Wavelength and absorbance of Fanta (100 mL) with
varied concentration of ascorbic acid (n = 3)
• The first peak at 287 drift slightly with the increase in AA concentration and
the absorbance also increased with the concentration of AA
• Thus, incorporation of AA in SB or SB in AA occurred
• This incorporation may prevent one from performing its role.

9. Several abnormality were
observed as a result of
consumption of high
amount sodium benzoate
singly or in combination
with ascorbic acid.
Some of the abnormalities
observed were: Activated
kupffer cells, sinusoidal
widenings, and
cytoplasmic vacuolation.
Effects of food additives on mice

10. Effects of oral administration of common food preservatives on biochemical parameter of
male Winster rats
B. Adewumi1
, O.P Femi-Oloye1
, A.M Olatunji-Ojo1
, A. Owoloye1
, , O. Ibitoye2
, F.F Oloye3*
F.A Gbore4
1
Department of Environmental Biology and Fisheries, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba,
Nigeria.
2
General Hospital, Owo Ondo State, Nigeria.
3
Department of Chemical Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Nigeria.
4
Department of Animal Sciences, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: bunmi.oloye@aaua.edu.ng
Abstract
The effects of oral administration of different concentrations of Ascorbic Acid (AA) and
Sodium Benzoate (NaB) (the commonly used food preservatives) on the biochemical
parameters (aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline
phosphatase (ALP)) of wistar albino rats were investigated in this study. The oral
administration was done for 14 non-consecutive days and after the last treatment, experimental
rats were not fed overnight. They were weighed before the collection of the liver to determine
the final body weight. Rats were anaesthetized using chloroform and were sacrificed by a
midline incision, the abdomen was then opened and the liver was taken out. The liver was
immersed immediately in EDTA anticoagulant tubes (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid 8.5%),
which was placed in the ice bath. Tissues were then homogenized using a hand homogenizer.
Liver function was estimated by measuring serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine
aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity by colorimetric method at
the Laboratory of Animal and Environmental Biology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-
Akoko, Ondo State. It was discovered that ascorbic acid has no negative effect on AST, ALT
and ALP, because of its anti-oxidant property. However, it lost its anti-oxidative property at
high concentration in Fanta due to aggregation. SB has mild effect at low concentration on
biochemical parameters, but has severe consequences as the concentration increases. The effect
of SB can easily be ameliorated by AA, because AA suppresses destructive nature of SB.
Keywords: Sodium benzoate; Ascorbic Acid; Fanta; Liver; Serum Aspartate
Aminotransferase; Alanine Aminotransferase; Alkaline Phosphatase
An Example of the work presented at the Faculty of Science 4th International Conference, AAUA 2019

11. Conclusion
Ascorbic acid (AA) and sodium benzoate (SB) did not interact to form new
product(s) at minimal concentrations but incorporate into each other, this was
evident by the red shift as the concentration of AA in SB increased.
Sunlight did not lead to the interaction of AA and SB also temperature below
body temperature (310 K) did not cause a significant change in maximum
absorbance wavelength.
Addition of AA into a typical fizzy drink did not result in new peak suggesting AA
did not create any new products by its addition to this product which already
contained AA and SB at the recommended level.
However, the addition of a high amount of AA into the fizzy drinks cause a
noticeable red shift from 287.5 to 295 nm. Thus caution should be taken when
taking AA with SB containing products.