Preparation of functional drinks using spirulina algae

Abstract

Spirulina is gaining popularity as a food item due to its multiple health benefits for humans, which has led to increased commercial demand globally. It is high in proteins rich in essential amino acids and contains many important vitamins and minerals such as calcium and iron. Spirulina has been utilized to fortify drinks prepared from apples and bananas by adding at (zero "control samples" 5, 10, and 15%) of the total pulp added to the drink. The results revealed that increasing the content of spirulina enhanced the antioxidant properties and nutritional contribution of apple and banana drinks. The employment of pasteurization at (90°C/15sec) and pH (4) reduced the unpleasant taste as well as odor of spirulina. The application of 10% spirulina to apple and banana drinks produced the highest taste as well as odor score, followed by 5% addition, the control sample, and lastly the adding 15% spirulina. The supplemented drinks by 15% spirulina provided the most acceptable color and appearance but decreased the degree of texture, which tends to the grainy texture with a feel of roughness. The drinks of apple and banana containing 10 % of spirulina recorded the greatest overall acceptability followed by that containing 5 %, then the control sample, while 15% recorded the worst score. As a result, it is advised to use spirulina to fortify drinks since its high health value and antioxidant content. It must use a high degree of pasteurization for a short time as well as minimize pH drink for a suitable point to get rid of undesirable smell and taste, in addition, to use a higher degree of homogenization and thickening agents to avoid getting grainy texture and improve the degree of appearance and acceptance. Keywords: Spirulina, Apples, Bananas, Drinks DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/113-05 Publication date: March 31st 2022