Potassium Ascorbate IUPAC Name (2R)-2-[(1S)-1,2-dihydroxyethyl]-3,4-dihydroxy-2H-furan-5-one
Potassium Ascorbate InChI 1S/C6H8O6/c7-1-2(8)5-3(9)4(10)6(11)12-5/h2,5,7-10H,1H2/t2-,5+/m0/s1
Potassium Ascorbate InChI Key CIWBSHSKHKDKBQ-JLAZNSOCSA-N
Potassium Ascorbate Canonical SMILES C(C(C1C(=C(C(=O)O1)O)O)O)O
Potassium Ascorbate Isomeric SMILES C([C@@H]([C@@H]1C(=C(C(=O)O1)O)O)O)O
Potassium Ascorbate Molecular Formula C6H8O6
Potassium Ascorbate CAS 50-81-7
Potassium Ascorbate Related CAS 134-03-2 (monosodium salt)
Potassium Ascorbate Deprecated CAS 129940-97-2, 14536-17-5
Potassium Ascorbate European Community (EC) Number 200-066-2
Potassium Ascorbate ICSC Number 0379
Potassium Ascorbate RTECS Number CI7650000
Potassium Ascorbate UNII PQ6CK8PD0R
Potassium Ascorbate FEMA Number 2109
Potassium Ascorbate DSSTox Substance ID DTXSID5020106
Potassium Ascorbate Physical Description DryPowder
Potassium Ascorbate Color/Form Crystals (usually plates, sometimes needles, monoclinic system)
Potassium Ascorbate Odor Odorless
Potassium Ascorbate Taste Pleasant, sharp, acidic taste
Potassium Ascorbate Melting Point 374 to 378 °F
Potassium Ascorbate Solubility greater than or equal to 100 mg/mL at 73° F Potassium Ascorbate Density 1.65 Potassium Ascorbate Vapor Pressure 9.28X10-11 mm Hg at 25 °C
Potassium Ascorbate LogP -1.85
Potassium Ascorbate Stability/Shelf Life Stable to air when dry; impure preparation and in many natural products vitamin oxidizes on exposure to air and light. Aqueous solutions are rapidly oxidized by air, accelerated by alkalies, iron, copper
Potassium Ascorbate Optical Rotation [α]D/20 between + 20,5° and + 21,5° (10 % w/v aqueous solution)
Potassium Ascorbate Autoignition Temperature 1220 °F Potassium Ascorbate Decomposition When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.
Potassium Ascorbate Heat of Vaporization The heat of vaporization is 1.487X10+8 J/kmol at 465.15 deg K.
Potassium Ascorbate pH Between 2,4 and 2,8 (2 % aqueous solution)
Potassium Ascorbate Surface Tension 4.039X10-2 N/m
Potassium Ascorbate pKa 4.7 (at 10 °C)
Potassium Ascorbate Dissociation Constants pK1 = 4.17; pK2 = 11.57
Potassium Ascorbate Collision Cross Section 138.6 Ų [M+H]+ [CCS Type: DT, Method: single field calibrated with Agilent tune mix (Agilent)]
Potassium Ascorbate Other Experimental Properties log Kow = -2.15 at 23 °C; log Kow = -2.00 at 37 °C
Potassium Ascorbate Molecular Weight 176.12 g/mol Potassium Ascorbate XLogP3 -1.6 Potassium Ascorbate Hydrogen Bond Donor Count 4 Potassium Ascorbate Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count 6
Potassium Ascorbate Rotatable Bond Count 2 Potassium Ascorbate Exact Mass 176.032088 g/mol Potassium Ascorbate Monoisotopic Mass 176.032088 g/mol Potassium Ascorbate Topological Polar Surface Area 107 Ų Potassium Ascorbate Heavy Atom Count 12 Potassium Ascorbate Formal Charge 0 Potassium Ascorbate Complexity 232 Potassium Ascorbate Isotope Atom Count 0 Potassium Ascorbate Defined Atom Stereocenter Count 2 Potassium Ascorbate Undefined Atom Stereocenter Count 0 Potassium Ascorbate Defined Bond Stereocenter Count 0 Potassium Ascorbate Undefined Bond Stereocenter Count 0 Potassium Ascorbate Covalently-Bonded Unit Count 1 Potassium Ascorbate Compound Is Canonicalized Yes
Vitamin C (Potassium Ascorbate) is a water soluble vitamin found in citrus fruits and green vegetables and deficiency of which is the cause of scurvy. There is no evidence that vitamin C, in physiologic or in moderately high doses, causes acute liver injury or jaundice.Potassium Ascorbate 100 to 200 mg daily may be given with desferrioxamine in the treatment of patients with thalassemia, to improve the chelating action of desferrioxamine, thereby increasing the excretion of iron.In iron deficiency states Potassium Ascorbate may increase gastrointestinal iron absorption and Potassium Ascorbate or ascorbate salts are therefore included in some oral iron preparations.Eye drops containing potassium ascorbate (Potassium Ascorbate 10%) have been used for the treatment of chemical eye burns. /Potassium ascorbate/Potassium Ascorbate and calcium and sodium ascorbates are used as antioxidants in pharmaceutical manufacturing and in the food industry.Potassium Ascorbate is also under investigation for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome, a chronic and progressive disorder of the nervous system.Potassium Ascorbate facilitates absorption of iron by keeping iron in reduced form. A few microcytic anemias respond to Potassium Ascorbate treatment, which may be ... due to improved absorption of iron.Potassium Ascorbate (but not sodium ascorbate) can be used as alternative /urinary acidifier/ ... if ammonium chloride is not tolerated or is containdicated. Doses of 0.5-2 g every 4 hr are recommended; however, the desirable alteration in urinary pH is not always obtained ... even at the higher dose levels.For prophylaxis or correction of deficiency, Vitamin C may be given as fresh or frozen orange juice (contains approx 0.5 mg/mL of Potassium Ascorbate). Crystalline Potassium Ascorbate is suitable alternative; oral admin is preferred, but the vitamin may be given im or iv .Potassium Ascorbate is used to prevent and to treat scurvy. Scurvy may be treated with dietary vitamin C; however, administration of therapeutic doses of Potassium Ascorbate probably results in more prompt saturation of tissue stores.Potassium Ascorbate has been used as a urinary acidifier although its efficacy has been questioned. Potassium Ascorbate may be useful in correcting tyrosinemia in premature infants on high-protein diets. The drug may also be useful to treat idiopathic methemoglobinemia, although it is less effective than methylene blue. Limited evidence indicates that Potassium Ascorbate administered during deferoxamine therapy increases iron excretion more than deferoxamine alone. Potassium Ascorbate is used as an antioxidant in formulations of injectable doxycycline and other drugs.Large doses of Potassium Ascorbate have been advocated for lessening the severity of and for preventing the common cold. Most large, controlled studies have shown the drug to have little or no value in the prevention or treatment of colds, and most clinicians believe the possible benefit is not worth the risk of toxicity.Although Potassium Ascorbate has not been shown by well-controlled trials to have therapeutic value, it has been prescribed for hematuria, retinal hemorrhages, hemorrhagic states, dental caries, pyorrhea, gum infections, anemia, acne, infertility, atherosclerosis, mental depression, peptic ulcer, tuberculosis, dysentery, collagen disorders, cancer, osteogenesis imperfecta, fractures, leg ulcers, pressure sores, physical endurance, hay fever, heat prostration, vascular thrombosis prevention, levodopa toxicity, succinylcholine toxicity, arsenic toxicity, and as a mucolytic agent.Medication (Vet): Feed additives with antioxidant properties such as Potassium Ascorbate had no protective effect against monocrotaline lethality and hepatotoxicity in mice.Proposed mechanisms of action for Potassium Ascorbate (ascorbate, vitamin C) in the prevention and treatment of cancer include enhancement of the immune system, stimulation of collagen formation necessary for "walling off" tumors, inhibition of hyaluronidase which keeps the ground substance around the tumor intact and prevents metastasis, prevention of oncogenic viruses, correction of an ascorbate deficiency often seen in cancer patients, expedition of wound healing after cancer surgery, enhancement of the effect of certain chemotherapy drugs, reduction of the toxicity of other chemotherapeutic agents such as Adriamycin, prevention of free radical damage, and neutralization of carcinogenic substances.Of 14 clinical trials of Potassium Ascorbate in the prevention and treatment of the common cold, the data from 8 were considered well enough gathered to be creditable and to warrant combining for an over-all assessment of efficacy. Differences in mean prorated numbers of colds per year and durations of illness were 0.09 plus or minus 0.06 (plus or minus 1 standard error) and 0.11 plus or minus 0.24, respectively, favoring Potassium Ascorbate over the placebo. These are minor and insignificant differences, but in most studies the severity of symptoms was significantly worse in the patients who received the placebo. In one study lasting 9 months, a large number of the volunteers tasted their capsules and correctly guessed what group they were in. All differences in severity and duration were eliminated by analyzing only the data from those who did not know which drug they were taking. Since there are no data on the long-term toxicity of Potassium Ascorbate when given in doses of 1 g or more per day, it is concluded that the minor benefits of questionable validity are not worth the potential risk, no matter how small that might be.Potassium Ascorbate is a widely used and controversial alternative cancer treatment. In millimolar concentrations, it is selectively cytotoxic to many cancer cell lines and has in vivo anticancer activity when administered alone or together with other agents. ... Patients with advanced cancer or hematologic malignancy were assigned to sequential cohorts infused with 0.4, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.5 g Potassium Ascorbate/kg body weight three times weekly. Adverse events and toxicity were minimal at all dose levels. No patient had an objective anticancer response. CONCLUSIONS: High-dose iv Potassium Ascorbate was well tolerated but failed to demonstrate anticancer activity when administered to patients with previously treated advanced malignancies.Large doses are reported to cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disturbances. It has also been stated that large doses may result in hyperoxaluria and the formation of renal calcium oxalate calculi, and Potassium Ascorbate should therefore be given with care to patients with hyperoxaluria. Tolerance may be induced with prolonged use of large doses, resulting in symptoms of deficiency when intake is reduced to normal. Prolonged or excessive use of chewable vitamin C preparations may cause erosion of tooth enamel.Large doses of Potassium Ascorbate have resulted in hemolysis in patients with G6PD deficiency.Potassium Ascorbate (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin indicated for the prevention and treatment of scurvy, as Potassium Ascorbate deficiency results in scurvy. Collagenous structures are primarily affected, and lesions develop in bones and blood vessels. Administration of Potassium Ascorbate completely reverses the symptoms of Potassium Ascorbate deficiency.Potassium Ascorbate is a natural water-soluble vitamin (Vitamin C). Potassium Ascorbate is a potent reducing and antioxidant agent that functions in fighting bacterial infections, in detoxifying reactions, and in the formation of collagen in fibrous tissue, teeth, bones, connective tissue, skin, and capillaries. Found in citrus and other fruits, and in vegetables, vitamin C cannot be produced or stored by humans and must be obtained in the diet. (NCI04)Vitamin C (Potassium Ascorbate) is a water-soluble nutrient that acts as an antioxidant by virtue of its high reducing power. It has a number of functions: as a scavenger of free radicals; as a cofactor for several enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of carnitine, collagen, neurotransmitters, and in vitro processes; and as a reducing agent. Evidence for in vivo antioxidant functions of ascorbate include the scavenging of reactive oxidants in activated leukocytes, lung, and gastric mucosa, and diminished lipid peroxidation as measured by urinary isoprostane excretion.The biological functions of Potassium Ascorbate are based on its ability to provide reducing equivalents for a variety of biochemical reactions. Because of its reducing power, the vitamin can reduce most physiologically relevant reactive oxygen species. In humans, an exogenous source of Potassium Ascorbate is required for collagen formation and tissue repair. Vitamin C is a co-factor in many biological processes including the conversion of dopamine to noradrenaline, in the hydroxylation steps in the synthesis of adrenal steroid hormones, in tyrosine metabolism, in the conversion of folic acid to folinic acid, in carbohydrate metabolism, in the synthesis of lipids and proteins, in iron metabolism, in resistance to infection, and in cellular respiration.Some unusual diets (eg, reducing diets that drastically restrict food selection) may not supply minimum daily requirements for Potassium Ascorbate. Supplementation is necessary in patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) or undergoing rapid weight loss or, in those with malnutrition, because of inadequate dietary intake.The daily intake of Potassium Ascorbate must equal the amount that is excreted or destroyed by oxidation. Healthy adult human subjects lose 3 to 4% of their body store daily. To maintain a body store of 1500 mg of Potassium Ascorbate or more in an adult man, it would thus be necessary to absorb approximately 60 mg daily. Values for vitamin C requirements of other age groups are based on similar reasoning.Under special circumstances, more Potassium Ascorbate appears to be required to achieve normal concentrations in the plasma. Thus, South African miners have been observed to require 200 to 250 mg of vitamin C daily to maintain a plasma concentration of 0.75 mg/dl (43 um).Potassium Ascorbate is required along with iron as a cofactor for the post-translational hydroxylation of proline and lysine to effect crosslinking of mature collagen. Lack of this function due to ascorbate deficiency results in defective collagen formation and the physical symptoms of scurvy. However, serum or urinary levels of proline or lysine, their hydroxylated forms, or other measures of collagen metabolism have not been shown to be reliable markers of ascorbate status.The renal threshold for Potassium Ascorbate is approx 14 ug/mL, but this level varies among individuals. When the body is saturated with Potassium Ascorbate and blood concentrations exceed the threshold, unchanged Potassium Ascorbate is excreted in the urine. When tissue saturation and blood concentrations of Potassium Ascorbate are low, administration of the vitamin results in little or no urinary excretion of Potassium Ascorbate. Inactive metabolites of Potassium Ascorbate such as Potassium Ascorbate-2-sulfate and oxalic acid are excreted in the urine ... Potassium Ascorbate is also excreted in the bile but there is no evidence for enterohepatic circulation.Hepatic. Potassium Ascorbate is reversibly oxidised (by removal of the hydrogen from the enediol group of Potassium Ascorbate) to dehydroPotassium Ascorbate. The two forms found in body fluids are physiologically active. Some Potassium Ascorbate is metabolized to inactive compounds including Potassium Ascorbate-2-sulfate and oxalic acid.Potassium Ascorbate-2-sulfate has ... been identified as metabolite of Vitamin C in human urine.Potassium Ascorbate is reversibly oxidized to dehydroPotassium Ascorbate in the body. This reaction, which proceeds by removal of the hydrogen from the enediol group of Potassium Ascorbate, is part of the hydrogen transfer system ...The two forms found in body fluids are physiologically active. Some Potassium Ascorbate is metabolized to inactive compounds including Potassium Ascorbate-2-sulfate and oxalic acid ...In humans, an exogenous source of Potassium Ascorbate is required for collagen formation and tissue repair by acting as a cofactor in the posttranslational formation of 4-hydroxyproline in -Xaa-Pro-Gly- sequences in collagens and other proteins. Potassium Ascorbate is reversibly oxidized to dehydroPotassium Ascorbate in the body. These two forms of the vitamin are believed to be important in oxidation-reduction reactions. The vitamin is involved in tyrosine metabolism, conversion of folic acid to folinic acid, carbohydrate metabolism, synthesis of lipids and proteins, iron metabolism, resistance to infections, and cellular respiration.While surgery is the definitive treatment for early-stage melanoma, the current therapies against advanced melanoma do not yet provide an effective, long-lasting control of the lesions and a satisfactory impact on patient survival. Thus, research is also focused on novel treatments that could potentiate the current therapies. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of potassium ascorbate with ribose (PAR) treatment on the human melanoma cell line, A375, in 2D and 3D models. In the 2D model, in line with the current literature, the pharmacological treatment with PAR decreased cell proliferation and viability. In addition, an increase in Connexin 43 mRNA and protein was observed. This novel finding was confirmed in PAR-treated melanoma cells cultured in 3D, where an increase in functional gap junctions and a higher spheroid compactness were observed. Moreover, in the 3D model, a remarkable decrease in the size and volume of spheroids was observed, further supporting the treatment efficacy observed in the 2D model. In conclusion, our results suggest that PAR could be used as a safe adjuvant approach in support to conventional therapies for the treatment of melanoma.Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer representing over 10% of all skin cancers but is responsible for more than 80% of skin cancer-related deaths. In addition, its incidence is growing and has even doubled in the last 10 years: it has been estimated that, in the next future, it will be the fifth most common cancer in American men and the seventh most common cancer in American women, accounting for 5% and 4% of all new cancer cases, respectively.Many risk factors for melanoma have been identified, including environmental and genetic factors, most likely acting in combination. Among endogenous factors, the most relevant are mutations in BRAF (mainly the specific mutation V600E), which are observed in ~60% of patients with nonfamilial, cutaneous melanomas, and the presence of a large number of nevi and skin phenotype 1 or 2 (fair skin, hair, and iris). Among exogenous causes, increased risk of melanoma has been associated with overexposure to natural or artificial UV radiation.Regarding the treatment of melanoma, the surgical removal is still the cornerstone of treatment in the early stages of the tumor. For advanced or metastatic melanoma, depending on tumor spread, affected organs, and the patient’s general health, several systemic therapies can be chosen, including cytotoxic agents (also combined to radiotherapy) and, more recently emerged, immune-checkpoint blockers or molecular targeted inhibitors.Among adjuvant therapies, IFN-α is the only approved treatment for melanoma. Because of the significant side effects of IFN-α (e.g., nausea, fatigue, and neutropenia), and the short-lived response to this treatment, research is focused on novel or reappraised adjuvant therapies in support to the conventional ones. On this subject, a growing body of literature has investigated the efficacy of PAR, a compound formed by potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3), L-ascorbic acid (AA), and D-ribose (D-Rib). PAR has been reported to have anticancer effects in vitro as well as in vivo, for example, in precarcinogenic conditions such as genetic syndromes (Beckwith-Wiedemann, Prader-Willi, and Costello Syndromes), which are characterized by an increased risk of malignancies and neoplasms. Interestingly, after once-a-day continuous treatment with PAR, a few patients with these syndromes were monitored for 9–30 months and an improvement of their clinical conditions was observed; most importantly, none of them developed tumors in the follow-up period of ten years. PAR has also given encouraging results when used in neoplastic patients undergoing radio- and chemotherapy, increasing survival from five to ten years , and in patients with mesothelioma and prostate cancer.It is thought that reduction of neoplastic risk afforded by PAR is allowed by different mechanisms; these manifold actions are given by the individual substances, which seem to have additive or synergistic effects. In particular, AA, at pharmacological doses, has shown antiproliferative, antimetastatic , antiangiogenic, and immunostimulatory properties; KHCO3 restores intracellular levels of K+, which are deeply decreased in most cancer cells; and ribose contributes to correct the hypokalemic condition behaving as a catalyst.Taken together, the data from the literature suggest that PAR could be useful as a new adjuvant treatment against cancer. In addition, skin tissues offer a peculiar way to act, which is the topical application that allows the administration of relatively high drug concentration and with minimum significant metabolic transformation.Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the effect of PAR on cell proliferation and cell-to-cell communication in human melanoma cells.A375 melanoma cells (from ATCC) were grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM, Lonza, Milan, Italy) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, EuroClone, Milan, Italy), 1% of L-glutamine (Lonza, Milan, Italy), and 1% of penicillin/streptomycin antibiotics (Lonza, Milan, Italy). The cells were maintained at 37°C in a humidified 5% CO2 atmosphere. A375 cells have BRAF (V600E) and p16 mutations.In preliminary experiments performed in 2D model, cells were treated with a wide range of concentrations of PAR (from 100 μM to 10 mM). In all subsequent experiments, the concentration range was restricted to 500 μM and 2 mM, which proved to be the lowest effective doses (for convenience, the concentrations are referred to ascorbic acid). The mixture was prepared by dissolving potassium bicarbonate, ascorbic acid, and ribose powders in culture medium in the dark (because they are light-sensitive), using nonmetallic spatulas (to avoid oxidation of ascorbic acid).Potassium ascorbate is a chemical compound with the formula KC6H7O6. It is the potassium salt of ascorbic acid, which is a form of vitamin C. The commercial preparation of potassium ascorbate is accomplished through chemical means. Ascorbic acid and potassium bicarbonate are refined to a purity of at least 97 percent. These two chemicals are then mixed in cold water to produce potassium ascorbate.Potassium ascorbate provides a biologically available form of potassium and vitamin C, both of which are essential nutrients. Potassium is a chemical element with the atomic number 19. It’s so-named because it was first isolated in potash, which was originally produced by soaking plant ashes in water. Potassium is essential for all forms of life.Vitamin C is a collective term for a group of related compounds based on ascorbate. This group also includes ascorbic acid and its salts. Some oxidized forms of ascorbic acid such a dehydroascorbic acid also exhibit vitamin C activity. Vitamin C is necessary for all life forms, although virtually all organisms can synthesize it from other substances. The known exceptions include humans and some other primates, guinea pigs, capybaras and most bats.Potassium ascorbate offers specific advantages compared to other methods of delivering potassium and vitamin C. For example, potassium ascorbate is a chelator that allows it to bind other minerals. This property allows potassium ascorbate to be easily transported and retained in the body. It may also help to regulate hormone levels, which can support fertility.Potassium ascorbate is a less acidic form of vitamin C than ascorbic acid, which may allow it to resist cellular degeneration. This effect can help to manage degenerative conditions by eventually causing the responsible cells to die. The alkalizing effect of potassium ascorbate can also manage degenerative processes by maintaining healthy levels of potassium. This effect results from potassium ascorbates’s role as a potassium carrier within the cells. The antioxidant properties of ascorbate also help to inhibit degenerative processes.Potassium ascorbate has benefits of both potassium and vitamin C. These benefits include antioxidant activity, collagen production, healthy circulation and heart health support.The signs that you many need potassium ascorbate include the signs of potassium and vitamin C deficiencies. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C is 200 mg/day, although many experts recommend much higher doses. A deficiency of vitamin C causes a characteristic set of symptoms known as scurvy. The first signs of scurvy include brown spots on the skin and spontaneous bleeding from mucous membranes. Severe scurvy causes the loss of teeth and suppurating wounds.The most common causes of a potassium deficiency include chronic diarrhea, excessive urination and vomiting. The signs of a potassium deficiency generally relate to the resulting changes in metabolism and cellular membrane potential. These signs typically include muscle cramps, weakness and decreased reflexes. More severe signs of a potassium deficiency include irregularities in heart rhythm and respiratory paralysis.While surgery is the definitive treatment for early-stage melanoma, the current therapies against advanced melanoma do not yet provide an effective, long-lasting control of the lesions and a satisfactory impact on patient survival. Thus, research is also focused on novel treatments that could potentiate the current therapies. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of potassium ascorbate with ribose (PAR) treatment on the human melanoma cell line, A375, in 2D and 3D models. In the 2D model, in line with the current literature, the pharmacological treatment with PAR decreased cell proliferation and viability. In addition, an increase in Connexin 43 mRNA and protein was observed. This novel finding was confirmed in PAR-treated melanoma cells cultured in 3D, where an increase in functional gap junctions and a higher spheroid compactness were observed. Moreover, in the 3D model, a remarkable decrease in the size and volume of spheroids was observed, further supporting the treatment efficacy observed in the 2D model. In conclusion, our results suggest that PAR could be used as a safe adjuvant approach in support to conventional therapies for the treatment of melanoma.POTASSIUM ASCORBATE is the potassium salt of ascorbic acid that exhibits antioxidant property. It is produced by glucose fermentation followed by potassium oxidation. It is also used as a preservative in foods and is a good source of vitamin C.Potassium ascorbate is a compound with formula KC6H7O6. It is the potassium salt of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and a mineral ascorbate. As a food additive, it has E number E303, INS number 303. Although it is not a permitted food additive in the UK or the USA, it is approved for use in Australia and New Zealand.Potassium ascorbate is a chemical compound with the formula KC6H7O6. It is the potassium salt of ascorbic acid, which is a form of vitamin C. The commercial preparation of potassium ascorbate is accomplished through chemical means. Ascorbic acid and potassium bicarbonate are refined to a purity of at least 97 percent. These two chemicals are then mixed in cold water to produce potassium ascorbate.Potassium ascorbate provides a biologically available form of potassium and vitamin C, both of which are essential nutrients. Potassium is a chemical element with the atomic number 19. It’s so-named because it was first isolated in potash, which was originally produced by soaking plant ashes in water. Potassium is essential for all forms of life.Vitamin C is a collective term for a group of related compounds based on ascorbate. This group also includes ascorbic acid and its salts. Some oxidized forms of ascorbic acid such a dehydroascorbic acid also exhibit vitamin C activity. Vitamin C is necessary for all life forms, although virtually all organisms can synthesize it from other substances. The known exceptions include humans and some other primates, guinea pigs, capybaras and most bats.