Ascorbic acid has been influential in so many ways to the progression of history as we know it. The Age of Discovery was threatened by the lack of this molecule. Without it, traveling the seas in search of new lands was very hard and many died as a result. To think one molecule could make such an impact on the world is astonishing. Ascorbic acid is better known as vitamin C and without it sailors were very susceptible to many illnesses, especially scurvy. Scurvy is an ancient disease that causes exhaustion, weakness, swelling of arms and legs, excessive bruising, lung and kidney problems, and so many other horrible symptoms. A lack of fresh fruit and vegetables can lead to this painful, life-threatening illness. As journeying further out to sea became easier, with better ships and such, dietary problems arose. Keeping food dry and mold-free as well as using fire to cook, which on wooden ships did not seem very appealing, became very inconvenient obstacles. A lack of hygiene made the possibility of contracting a disease even more likely. Preventives and remedies were likely to have been known but there is little to say that they were employed on many European ships. Many believed scurvy was attributed to a lack of or too much meat while some thought it was just too hard to keep fruit fresh onboard. As long as the end justified the means I guess it didn’t matter the cost. There were a few men, however, that did concern themselves with the task of keeping their crew alive. Captain James Lancaster administered lemon juice to his crew stricken with scurvy. As a result his crew had no signs of scurvy when they reached their destination in the Cape of Good Hope. Jacques Cartier took advice from local Indians and used an infusion of spruce needles to cure the infected. The most determined was James Cook, who insisted and maintained high levels of diet and hygiene aboard all his vessels. The ships in these men’s’ fleet who didn’t follow their captain’s orders suffered many fatalities.
Ascorbic acid is hard to isolate because it is difficult to separate from other sugars found in the citrus juices containing ascorbic acid. Interestingly enough, ascorbic acid was initially isolated from an animal source, bovine adrenal cortex, because of its difficulty in being isolated in plants. Ascorbic acid is produced by first an oxidation reaction followed by a reduction reaction at the opposite end of the glucose molecule, forming gulonic acid. Next, the gulonic acid forms a cyclic molecule in the form of a lactone. Lastly, a final oxidation step producing the double bond of the ascorbic acid molecule occurs. This final step is what humans are missing causing us to not be able to produce ascorbic acid on our own.
Scurvy isn’t unheard of today. It can be found in the elderly population where a lack of interest in cooking and eating as well as a poor diet are common. All the roles of ascorbic acid are unknown but it is vital for the production of collagen which can explain the onset of scurvy. Scientists consider this molecule so important that a recommended amount is advised for living a healthy life, the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance). Now that travel has become far less time-consuming, ascorbic acid isn’t as necessary to survive a trip across the ocean. However, ascorbic acid is used as a food preservative as well as in the canning process to protect lower-acid-content vegetables. I agree with how important the impact of ascorbic acid has been on how history has played out. A lack of ascorbic acid led to thousands of deaths which had to have had a negative impact on exploration and further development of new worlds. How could it not have? When a captain loses over half of his crew it causes a loss of efficiency and can cause despair and depression. None of these are very conducive to exploring over a long period of time. It is mentioned over and over again how the application of ascorbic acid in a crew’s diet caused less fatalities and a successful exploration. Displayed, also, is the repercussions of an intentional or accidental overlook of this important molecule. Without it the world would be a very different place, controlled by different people and possibly creating new world powers. It may seem that ascorbic acid has faded from the headlines but it is still very necessary for a continued healthy life.
Isabella Barnett 