Processing stability and debittering of Tinospora cordifolia (giloy) juice using ultrasonication for potential application in foods

Abstract

Herbal plants have been used as medicines since time immemorial. T. cordifolia (giloy) is one such medicinal plant that possesses many therapeutic properties. Certain challenges such as thermal stability and bitter taste (diterpenoids, lactones), calls for technological interventions for effective debittering and retention of its bioactivity. This study was aimed at the removal of bitterness in giloy samples along with the evaluation of their processing stability at three different temperatures (72 °C/16 s; 100 °C/10 min; 121 °C/15 min). Membrane processing technique and addition of β-cyclodextrin, a polysaccharide derivative (PD), as a debittering compound, singly or in combination, did not produce desirable results. Several approaches were adopted to remove bitterness using herbal extract (0.1 g/100 g stems), and PD (3 g/100 mL juice) combined with magnetic stirring, thermosonication, and ultrasonication. Results revealed that ultrasonication could eliminate the bitterness, below the detection limits, in giloy juice at 10 min duration with retention of most of the bioactive components and antioxidant activity. The results suggest that ultrasonication could help in debittering extracts of other herbal plants as well. Besides, food industries may develop sensorially acceptable giloy based functional beverages with longer shelf-life, thus broadening the field of industrial application.