Which of the following acid is also a vitamin?
20172021
Which of the following acid is also a vitamin?
- A.
Malic acid
- B.
Ascorbic acid
- C.
Palmitic acid
- D.
Formic acid
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Vitamins are organic compounds required in small (trace) amounts for normal metabolism; several vitamins are, by chemical structure, carboxylic acids — Vitamin C's official chemical name is L-ascorbic acid.
Among the acids listed, only Ascorbic acid is officially classified and required in the diet as a vitamin (Vitamin C) — it is essential for collagen synthesis, wound healing, and antioxidant defence, and its absence causes the deficiency disease scurvy.
Malic acid: a dicarboxylic acid naturally present in apples and used as a food acidulant and citric-acid-cycle intermediate; it is not classified as a vitamin.
Palmitic acid: a saturated (C16) fatty acid common in animal fats and palm oil; it serves as an energy-yielding nutrient, not a vitamin.
Formic acid: the simplest carboxylic acid, present in ant stings (its name derives from Latin "formica", ant) and used industrially; it has no recognized vitamin function in the human body.
Hence, Ascorbic acid is the acid that is also a vitamin.