CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that VAIBHAV SHUKLA of
Class 12th (Manbodhan Prasad Public School)
has successfully completed his project work in
chemistry on the topic-
“PRESENCE OF OXALATE IONS IN GUAVA
FRUIT AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF
RIPENING”
He has taken proper care and shown at most
sincerity in completion of this project up to
my expectation and as per the guidelines by
CBSE.
Index
1. Acknowledgement
2. Introduction
3. Plant Chemicals
4. Oxalic Acid
5. Experiment
6. Observations
7. Calculations
8. Bibliography
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
At the outset , I express my heartiest
gratitude to my guide “Mr. Nandan Pandey”
for the divine guidance and wisdom
showered on me to undertake this project.
I am immensely grateful to my beloved
Principal for his involvement in this
project by providing useful inputs and
timely suggestions.
My parents also played a key role in
shaping up this project nicely and I convey
my special thanks to them as well.
INTRODUCTION
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Psidium
Species: Guajava
Guava is a common shade tree or shrub in dooryard
gardens in the tropics. It provides shade while the
guava fruits are eaten fresh and made into drinks,
ice cream, and preserves.
In the richness of the Amazon, guava fruits often
grow well beyond the size of tennis balls on well-
branched trees or shrubs reaching up to 20 m high.
Cultivated varieties average about 10 meters in
height and produce lemon-sized fruits. The tree is
easily identified by its distinctive thin, smooth,
copper-colored bark that flakes off, showing a
greenish layer beneath.
Guava has spread widely throughout the tropics
because it thrives in a variety of soils, propagates
easily, and bears fruit relatively quickly. The fruits
contain numerous seeds that can produce a mature
fruit-bearing plant within four years.
PLANT CHEMICALS
Guava is rich in tannins, phenols, triterpenes,
flavonoids, essential oils, saponins, carotenoids,
lectins, vitamins, fiber and fatty acids. Guava fruit
is higher in vitamin C than citrus (80 mg of vitamin
C in 100 g of fruit) and contains appreciable
amounts of vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also
a good source of pectin - a dietary fiber. The
leaves of guava are rich in flavonoids, in particular,
quercetin.
Much of guava's therapeutic activity is attributed
to these flavonoids. The flavonoids have
demonstrated antibacterial activity. Quercetin is
thought to contribute to the anti-diarrhea effect
of guava; it is able to relax intestinal smooth
muscle and inhibit bowel contractions. In addition,
other flavonoids and triterpenes in guava leaves
show antispasmodic activity. Guava also has
antioxidant properties, which is attributed to the
polyphenols found in the leaves.
OXALIC ACID
It is the chemical compound with the formula
H2C2O4. It is a relatively strong organic acid, being
about 10,000 times stronger than acetic acid. The
dianion, known as oxalate, is also a reducing agent
and a ligand in coordination chemistry. Oxalic acid
and oxalates are abundantly present in many plants,
most notably in sour grass, and sorrel (including
Oxalis), roots and leaves of rhubarb and
buckwheat.
At high concentrations, it is a dangerous poison,
but such immediately toxic levels are not found in
foodstuffs but rather in manufactures, such as
some bleaches, some anti-rust products, and some
metal cleaners (among other things). It is also a
naturally occurring component of plants, and is
found in relatively high levels in dark-green leafy
foods.
To study the presence of Oxalate Ion
content in Guava Fruit at different stages
of ripening:
Requirements: 100 ml measuring flask, pestle and mortar,
beaker, titration flask, funnel, burette, weight box, pipette,
filter paper, dilute H2SO4, KMnO4, and guava fruits at
different stages of ripening.
Theory: Oxalate ions are extracted from the fruit by boiling
pulp with dil. H2SO4 . Then Oxalate ions are estimated
volumetrically by titrating the solution with standard KMnO4
solution.
End Point: Appearance of permanent pink colour.
Procedure:
1. 50.0g of fresh guava was weighed and crushed to a fine pulp
using pestle-mortar.
2. The crushed pulp was transferred to a beaker and about 50ml
dil. H2SO4 was added. The contents were boiled for about 10
minutes.
3. The contents were filtered and cooled in 100ml measuring
flask. The volume was made up to 100ml by adding distilled
water.
4. 20ml of this solution was taken into a titerating flask and
20ml of dil. H2SO4 was added to it. The mixture was heated to
about 60C and titerated against the standard KMnO4 solution
taken in a burette
5. The process was repeated with different samples of guava.
OBSERVATION
● Weight of the guava fruit for each time was
50g.
● Volume of guava extract taken for each
titration was 20ml.
● Normality of KMnO4 Solution was 1/10.
Burrete Burrete
Guava Reading Reading Volume Of Concurrent
Solution KMnO4 Reading
(Initial) (Final)
Raw 150 18 132
Semi-
150 13 137 136.06
ripened
Ripened 150 10.8 139.2
CALCULATION
1) For raw guava
N1V1=N2V2
N1 * 10 = 1/10 * (X)
Normality of Oxalate, N1 = X/100
Strength of Oxalate ion in fresh guava extract
= Normality * Eq. Mass Of Oxalate Ion
= 1.32/100 * 44 g/litre of diluted extract
= 0.581 g/L
2) For semi-ripened guava (1 day old)
Strength of Oxalate ion in one day old guava extract
= 1.37/100 * 44 g/litre of diluted extract
= 0.603 g/L
3) For ripened guava
Strength of Oxalate ion in ripened guava extract
= 1.39/100 * 44 g/litre of diluted extract
= 0.612 g/L
RESULT
a)The normality of oxalate ions of;
• Fresh Guava solution is = 1.32 N
• Semi-ripen Guava solution is = 1.37 N
• Ripened Guava solution is = 1.39 N
b) The strength of oxalate ions of;
• Fresh Guava solution is = 0.58 g/L
• Semi-ripen Guava solution is = 0.60 g/L
• Ripened Guava solution is = 0.61 g/L
CONCLUSION
The investigation successfully determined the
presence and variation of oxalate ions in guava fruit at
different stages of ripening. The experimental results
revealed that the content of oxalate ions increases as
the guava ripens. The strength of oxalate ions was
found to be 0.581 g/L in raw guava, 0.603 g/L in
semi-ripened guava, and 0.612 g/L in fully ripened
guava. This trend indicates a clear increase in oxalate
ion concentration as the fruit matures.
The normality of oxalate ions also showed a gradual
increase from 1.32N in raw guava to 1.39N in ripened
guava. This aligns with the hypothesis that oxalate
content changes during the ripening process.
The content of oxalate ions in guava was found to be
59.67% which is close to the literature value of 60%.
This further invalidates the accuracy of the
experimental procedure. It is evident from the study
that the content of oxalate ions increases as the guava
ripens, making the fruit's ripeness a critical factor in
its oxalate concentration.
PRECAUTIONS
● There should be no parallax while taking
measurements.
● Spillage of chemicals should be checked.
● Avoid the use of burette having a rubber tap as
KMnO attacks the rubber.
● In order to get some idea about the temperature of
the solution touch the flask with the back die of
your hand. When it becomes unbearable to touch,
the required temperature is reached.
● Add about an equal volume of dil. H2SO4 to the guava
extract to be titrated (say a full test tube) before
adding KMnO4.
● Read the upper meniscus while taking burette
reading with KMnO4 solution.
● In case, on addition of KMnO4 a brown ppt. appears,
this shows that wither H2SO4 has not been added or
has been added in insufficient amount. In such a
case throw away the solution and titrate again.
REFERENCES
● [Link]
● [Link]
● [Link]
● [Link]
● Practical Chemistry Lab Manual
