THERMAL DESTRUCTION OF FOLACIN: EFFECT OF ASCORBIC ACID, OXYGEN AND TEMPERATURE

ABSTRACT The effects of temperature and the presence of oxygen and reducing agent on the thermal stability of two naturally occurring labile folates were investigated Microbiological assay of samples heated from 49–100°C for various lengths of time revealed that the loss of 5‐methyltetrahydrofolic acid in aqueous solution followed first order kinetics with a low Arrhenius activation energy of 9.5 kcal/mole. Tetrahydrofolic acid was extremely labile during heating and the stability of both forms of folate was increased in the presence of ascorbate and nitrogen atmosphere.