Change in Vitamin C during the Fermentation of Acerola Vinegar

Abstract

Acerola juice contains a high concentration of ascorbic acid (AA). The juice to which ethanol was added was fermented by Acetobacter aceti IFO 3283 to produce acerola vinegar. Submerged and static fermentation was employed for acetic acid production, and changes in AA and dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) were investigated during fermentation. In the submerged fermentation the amount of AA decreased but that of DHA increased, while in the static one the amounts of AA and DHA decreased as the fermentation proceeded. From the viewpoint of the total vitamin C (AA plus DHA) content of the product, the submerged fermentation was superior to the static one. Acerola vinegar produced by the submerged fermentaion was stored under various conditions. The amount of AA of the vinegar stored at room temperature decreased faster than that stored at 4°C and light exposure accelerated the decrease, indicating that AA of the vinegar was labile to heat and light.