The history of vitamin C research in India

摘要

Vitamin C is perhaps the most controversial, highly publicised yet least understood of all vitamins. Eighty years have passed since its discovery, but till now its precise biological function has remained an enigma. It is perceived by the general public as a panacea, a miracle pill that is capable of curing myriad diseases. Humans, in contrast to many animals, are incapable of synthesising this vitamin and are totally dependent on its dietary intake for their survival. The biosynthetic pathway of vitamin C in animals and its defective counterpart in humans have been completely elucidated, mainly by the pioneering work done in the USA and India. In this essay, besides the discovery of vitamin C by Szent-Gyorgyi (1928) as well as King and Waugh (1932), I shall elaborate on vitamin C research done exclusively in India.