Journal of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Vitamin C Levels in Lemons (Citrus Limon) Grown in Zambia; an Opportunity for Utilisation in Fish Feeds
Alexander Shula Kefi, Chrisanty Chama, Lumbwe Kalumba, Ian Bbole, Patience Chungu, Majorie Mbambara

Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the amount of ascorbic acid in two Citrus limon varieties (Eureka and Lisbon) collected from three agro – ecological regions of Zambia. The ascorbic acid was determined by back titration method. Location and variety of lemon affected the moisture, crude fibre, crude protein, ash, carbohydrates and energy independently while crude protein level in the lemon fruit were influenced by both. Location did affect (P< 0.05) the amount of ascorbic acid in the lemon. However, the amount of vitamin C was not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the lemon varieties. Polynomial regression suggested a linear relationship (Y = 0.086X + 7.617, r = 0.5) between the weight of the Eureka lemon and vitamin C with a lot of variations. It is recommended that the possibilities of using lemons especially Lisbon variety as a source of vitamin C in fish feeds are explored.

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