Nutritional Evaluation of Quince Fruit of Baltistan Region and Development of Value-added Products

Abstract

Introduction Quince fruit (Cydonia oblonga) belongs to the genus Cydonia, found in Skardu Gilgit Baltistan. It is found at an altitude of up to 8000 feet. It is called bahi in Urdu and shadool in Balti. Quince fruit is among the untapped fruits in Pakistan. It is highly nutritious and has great medicinal and economical value. Quince is anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, and known as hypoglycemic, the fruit has a cooling effect and provides energy to the brain and heart thus its regular use maintains proper health. Methods Quince fruit value-added products were created, such as nectar and jam. Fruits purchased from Skardu were washed, graded, and inspected to remove diseased seeds and infected portions. We sliced the fruit, cooked it, and then weighed the pulp before adding sugar and other additives. All process parameters are standardized. The fruit and developed products were examined for physical, organoleptic, and chemical parameters. Results The edible portion of fruit was analyzed for proximate composition, physical parameters, and mineral content, and total sugars were found to be 9.4%, reducing sugars to be 5.8%, total soluble solids to be 12.2%, moisture to be 84.1%, and fiber to be 1.6%. The acidity is 1.25 and the vitamin C content is 19.6 mg/100 g. Fruit nectar and jam were developed and tested as value-added products. Fruit nectar contained more vitamin C (17.8) as compared to fruit jam (12.3). Total soluble solids (TSS)/brix of fruit nectar (64° B) and fruit jam (68° B) were measured. the products examined for organoleptic evaluation. Conclusion It has been determined that quince fruit is highly nutritious and can be used as a therapeutic food. The developed value-added products nectar and jam were liked very much and got the highest score; therefore, considering their nutritive value and palatability, both nectar and jam can be developed commercially for human consumption and can be used as a new source of income generation for rural communities in Gilgit-Baltistan.