Properties

Some of  the important physico-chemical  characteristics of riboflavin are as follows:

a)  Riboflavin forms needle shaped orange crystals.

b)  It is sparingly soluble in water and ethanol but its solubility in water is much  less than thiamin.

c)  Aqueous solution of vitamin B2 emits a  yellow-green  fluorescence. To see this for yourself, empty the contents of a multivitamin  capsule  into a glass of water. Stir and observe the yellow-green  fluorescence. Isn't  it amazing.

d)  Though the compound is stable to boiling in acid medium,  it is readily destroyed by heat  in  an alkaline medium. This becomes an  important consideration during cooking procedure.

e) Riboflavin  is sensitive to light and is destroyed if exposed to light for some time. Milk, which  is rich  in  riboflavin, should not be exposed to sunlight for  long. So next time when your milk man  leaves the milk packet outside,  surely you know what to do.