Nutritional composition of Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) according to cooking method and its application as an elder‐friendly drink

Abstract

SummarySacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) can be a great source of nutrition for the elderly since it contains great conditions of bioactive substances such as antioxidants and essential amino acids. Therefore, this study aimed to set up an optimal pretreatment method of Sacha inchi and to develop viscous beverage products for the elderly. As a result, roasting Sacha inchi had a significant effect on improving the essential amino acid content and antioxidant ability rather than raw and boiled one. However, because ageing threatens to choke older people even if they drink non‐viscous water, a viscous roasted Sacha inchi breeze was developed for the elderly. Therefore, it was confirmed that all thickening agents used in this study could be applied as elder‐friendly foods suitable for Korean Industrial Standards, and the regression equation for viscosity changes according to thickenrs concentrations was ‘Y = 75 312X−35.394’ for xanthan gum, ‘Y = 61 413X−201.33’ for locust bean gum, ‘Y = 4200.7X−7.2438’ for carrageenan, and ‘Y = 999.85X + 3.141’ for gum arabic. In conclusion, this study can help prevent suffocation and improve nutritional imbalance by developing viscous drinks using Sacha inchi for the elderly with weak oesophageal muscles.