Possible Formation of Dehydro-L-ascorbic Acid from 2,3-Diketo-L-gulonic Acid in an Aqueous Solution.

The reaction of 2,3-diketo-L-gulonic acid (DKG), which is one of the important intermediate products in the degradation of L-ascorbic acid (ASA) in both food and biological systems, in an aqueous solution was studied. The formation of a small amount of the γ-lactone, dehydro-L-ascorbic acid (DASA), from DKG was observed. This strongly suggests the chemical possibility of a reverse reaction in DASA hydrolysis which has been long believed to be irreversible.