By Lillianne Fish, Savannah Welge

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Smith

Abstract

B-vitamins within energy drinks are required to convert added sugars into energy that our bodies can process and use. Many B-complex vitamins, like riboflavin (B2) and pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), are common additives found within energy drinks. These compounds display high absorption intensities found in the ultraviolet or visible light region because of their conjugated ring structures. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-Vis), a routine analytical method, was used to determine the concentration of riboflavin and pyridoxine found within a commercial energy drink, Bloom Sparkling Energy: Strawberry Watermelon. Standards
of riboflavin and pyridoxine hydrochloride were measured by the LAMBDA 365+ UV/Vis at the vitamins’ respective maximum absorbance wavelengths to create external calibration curves. Diluted solutions of our energy drink were measured at the same wavelengths, and the unknown concentrations of B2 and B6 were calculated from the regression line of best fits of the calibration curves. The method determined higher concentrations of the vitamins than stated on the nutritional label.