Pear Pulp Research Articles

Physicochemical properties and in vitro hypolipidemic activities of three different bonding state pectic polysaccharide fractions extracted sequentially from pear pulp.

In this study, water-soluble fraction (WSF), chelator-soluble fraction (CSF), and sodium carbonate-soluble fraction (NSF) were sequentially fractionated from pear pulp, of which physicochemical properties and hypolipidemic activities in vitro were evaluated. They showed distinct monosaccharide composition, surface morphology, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrums. WSF and NSF were identified as high methyl-esterified pectic polysaccharides with degrees of methyl esterification (DM) of 85.71 % and 66.67 %, respectively, whereas CSF was low methyl-esterified pectic polysaccharides (47.83 %). WSF, CSF, and NSF all demonstrated low molecular weight, desirable rheological, thermal, antioxidant, and hypolipidemic effects in vitro. It was remarkable that WSF displayed the most excellent inhibition capacity of cholesterol micelles (26.63 %), pancreatic lipase (PL) (91.13 %)/cholesterol esterase (CEase) (53.10 %) activity inhibition, attributed to its highest DM and roughest morphology. CSF and NSF exhibited stronger cholate-binding capacity than WSF, inseparable from higher apparent viscosity and gel ability. On these grounds, different bonding state pectic polysaccharide fractions from pear presented some distinctions in their structural characteristics and functional properties, which might endow them with exploitation in health promotion and dietary supplements.

Authenticating the Geographical Origin of Jingbai Pear in Northern China by Multiple Stable Isotope and Elemental Analysis.

The Jingbai pear is one of the best pear species in China with high quality and nutrition values which are closely linked to its geographical origin. With the purpose of discriminating the PGI Mentougou Jingbai pear from three other producing regions, the stable isotope ratios and elemental profiles of the pears (n = 52) and the corresponding soils and groundwater were determined using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), respectively. The results revealed that δ15N, δ18OJ, and Li were significantly different (p < 0.05) in samples from different regions, which indicated their potential to be used in the geographical origin classification of the Jingbai pear. The nitrogen isotopic values of the pear pulp were positively correlated with the δ15N value and nitrogen content of the corresponding soils, whilst the B, Na, K, Cr, and Cd contents of the pear pulps were positively correlated with their corresponding soils. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was performed in combination with analysis of the stable isotopes and elemental profiles, making it possible to distinguish the cultivation regions from each other with a high prediction accuracy (a correct classification rate of 92.3%). The results of this study highlight the potential of stable isotope ratios and elemental profiles to trace the geographical origin of pears at a small spatial scale.

Assessment of SSC and soluble sugar content of three pear cultivars during storage using dielectric method

This study aims to develop models for predicting soluble solids content (SSC) and soluble sugar content of three different pear cultivars. The samples' SSC and soluble sugar content, as well as the dielectric spectra in the frequency range of 20–4500 MHz were first collected, then the dielectric penetration depth was analyzed using one-way ANOVA method, and finally the accuracy of different models for predicting SSC and soluble sugar contents including partial least squares regression (PLSR), support vector machine (SVM), back propagation - artificial neural network (BP-ANN), and extreme learning machines (ELM) were compared. Results showed that the mean dielectric spectra of three pear cultivars presented similar trends. The dielectric penetration depth in the researched frequency range reached the maximum sugar content determination depth (intact pears: 20 mm; pulp: 17 mm). The correlations between glucose and dielectric spectra under specific frequency for 'Yulu' (determination coefficient: R2 = 0.88) and 'Korla' (R2 = 0.94) pears were the highest, while in terms of 'Xuehua' pear, the correlation was relatively lower (R2 ≤ 0.64). The Rp2 (R2 of prediction set) of the optimal sugar prediction model based on the dielectric spectra of intact pear and pear pulp were successively between 0.77–0.88 and 0.85–0.93. This research proved the feasibility of predicting sugar content in different pear cultivars using dielectric spectra.

African pear (Dacryodes edulis) pulp antioxidants and bioactive compounds: Outcome of heat treatment

The study was aimed at evaluating the effect of heat treatment (boiling and roasting) on the antioxidant properties and phytochemical profile of African pear pulp. African pear was subjected to boiling and roasting treatment at 100 °C for 5 mins and 150 °C for 10 mins respectively. The raw, boiled, and roasted pears were analysed for antioxidants and phytochemicals were profiled using HPLC. The results of antioxidants showed that total phenols (mg GAE/g) decreased by 34 % in the boiled pears and by 18 % in the roasted pears; total flavonoids (Rutin equivalent) decreased by 50 % in the boiled pear while it was not significantly affected by roasting; DPPH radical scavenging abilities decreased from 84.15 % to 50.82 % and from 84.15 % to 57.04 % in the boiled and roasted pears. Beta-carotene was found to decrease by 17 % and 64 % in the boiled and roasted pears. HPLC quantification of phytochemicals revealed Beta Caryophyllene as the most abundant in the raw and heat-treated pears though heat treatment increased all the phytochemicals quantified. Roasting was found to significantly increase all the bioactive compounds quantified. This suggests that the roasted pear will contribute to better nutrition and health security when consumed compared to the boiled pear.

Changes in the Metabolome and Nutritional Quality of Pulp from Three Types of Korla Fragrant Pears with Different Appearances as Revealed by Widely Targeted Metabolomics

Korla fragrant pear (Pyrus sinkiangensis Yü) fruits have a unique flavor and are rich in phenolic acids, flavonoids, amino acids, and other nutrients. At present, the molecular basis of the quality differences among Korla fragrant pear fruits with a convex calyx and rough skin (RS), calyx shedding (SD), and a convex calyx (CV) remains unknown. To analyze the main metabolic components of Korla fragrant pear fruits and compare the antioxidant activities of these three fruits with different qualities, we used nutrient composition analysis and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS)-based widely targeted metabolomics approaches to analyze the changes in the quality characteristics of the pulp of these three Korla fragrant pear fruits with different appearances. The nutrient composition analysis showed that the fructose and glucose contents were not significantly different, and sucrose and vitamin C contents were significantly higher in SD fruits compared with CV and RS fruits. However, the levels of flavor substances such as titratable acids, total phenols, and total flavonoids were high in the pulp of RS fruits. The metabolomics results identified 1976 metabolites that were clustered into 12 categories, and phenolic acid and flavonoid metabolites were the most abundant. The differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in the fruits with different appearances were screened by multivariate statistical methods, and a total of 595 DAMs were detected. The analysis identified 300 DAMs between the CV and SD fruits, 246 DAMs between the RS and CV fruits, and 405 DAMs between the RS and SD groups. SD fruits contained the most metabolites with a high relative content, especially phenolic acids, lipids, amino acids and derivatives, alkaloids, and organic acids. Compared with CV fruits, flavonoid metabolism was more active in RS fruits, which also had a higher content of flavonoids, whereas the fewest metabolites were found in CV fruits, which also displayed less flavonoid accumulation. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DAMs were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, confirming that CV fruits have decreased flavone and flavonol biosynthesis and accumulate fewer flavonoids than RS fruits, which may explain the less bitter and astringent flavor of CV fruits. However, the flavonoid content in RS fruits was very high, which may be one of the reasons why RS fruits have a harder pulp and are less juicy, more slaggy, and less flavorful. Moreover, the analysis of the antioxidant activity showed that during fruit development and maturation, RS fruits had stronger antioxidant activity than SD and CV fruits. These results provide a theoretical basis for improving the fruit quality of Korla fragrant pears and the processing of pear pulp.

Ice cream and sherbets made with purple and orange cactus pear pulp: chemical and sensory analysis

Ice cream and sherbets made with purple and orange cactus pear pulp: chemical and sensory analysis

Physicochemical properties of wild grown prickly pear fruits (Opuntia ficus-indica) in Yemen

This study aimed to estimate the physical and chemical properties of prickly pear fruits. Prickly pear fruit samples were collected from local markets in Dhamar, Yemen. The results showed that the mean weight of prickly pear fruits was 89.27 g, while the pulp, peel, seeds, and extracted juice weights were 47.57, 40.96, 3.52, and 37.07 g, respectively. The weight percentages of pulp, peel, seeds, and extracted juice were 53.72, 45.38, 3.79, and 34.85% of the fruit's weight, respectively. The chemical properties of prickly pear juice were: 86.83% moisture, 12.75 ˚brix total soluble solids, 13.17% total solids, 11.78% total sugars, 7.86% reducing sugar, 3.90% non-reducing sugar, 6.07 pH, 0.09% total acidity, and 28.41 mg/100 mL ascorbic acid content. The ˚brix/acidity ratio in prickly pear pulp extract was 178.87. These findings indicated that the prickly pear fruits that grow wild in Yemen possessed the majority of the desirable physicochemical properties, such as high soluble solids, low acidity, and a low seed content percentage, which make them marketable and exportable.

Effects on stone cell development and lignin deposition in pears by different pollinators.

The pear pulp is formed by the development of the ovary wall, which is the somatic cell of the female parent, and its genetic traits are identical to those of the female parent, so that its phenotypic traits should also be identical to those of the female parent. However, the pulp quality of most pears, especially the stone cell clusters (SCCs) number and degree of polymerization (DP), were significantly affected by the paternal type. Stone cells are formed by the deposition of lignin in parenchymal cell (PC) walls. Studies on the effect of pollination on lignin deposition and stone cell formation in pear fruit have not been reported. Methods: In this study, 'Dangshan Su' (P. bretschneideri Rehd.) was selected as the mother tree, while 'Yali' (P. bretschneideri Rehd.) and 'Wonhwang' (P. pyrifolia Nakai.) were used as the father trees to perform cross-pollination. We investigated the effects of different parents on SCCs number and DP, and lignin deposition by microscopic and ultramicroscopic observation. The results showed that the formation of SCCs proceeds was consistent in DY and DW, but the SCC number and DP in DY were higher than that in DW. Ultramicroscopy revealed that the lignification process of DY and DW were all from corner to rest regions of the compound middle lamella and the secondary wall, with lignin particles deposited along the cellulose microfibrils. They were alternatively arranged until they filled up the whole cell cavity to culminate in the formation of stone cells. However, the compactness of the wall layer of cell wall was significantly higher in DY than in DW. We also found that the pit of stone cell was predominantly single pit pair, they transported degraded material from the PCs that were beginning to lignify out of the cells. Stone cell formation and lignin deposition in pollinated pear fruit from different parents were consistent, but the DP of SCCs and the compactness of the wall layer were higher in DY than that in DW. Therefore, DY SCC had a higher ability to resist the expansion pressure of PC.

Phytochemical profiling, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities of hydroethanolic extracts of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica) fruit and pulp.

Phenolic compounds in prickly pear [Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.] are known to contribute to the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the prickly pear. The present study aimed to evaluate the antioxidants and in vitro antimicrobial potential in the hydroethanolic extracts of different parts (fruit, cladode, and pulp) of prickly pear. Different polyphenolic compounds were analyzed by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that cladode possessed a higher quantity of phenolics compared with that observed in fruit and pulp. The most important phenolic compound in high quantity was gallic acid (66.19 μg/g) in cladode. The 100% aqueous extract of cladode exhibited the highest antioxidant (92%) and antimicrobial activities against Salmonella typhi (3.40 mg/ml), Helicobacter pylori (1.37 mg/ml), Escherichia coli (1.41 mg/ml), and Staphylococcus aureus (1.41 mg/ml). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that antioxidant activity and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) responses had a significant negative correlation with each other. Overall, the current results provided basic data for choosing prickly pear cladode with high antioxidant capacity for the development and consumption of antioxidant-based alternative medicines and value addition of formulated foods.

Diversity in Acidity between Core and Pulp of Asian Pear Fruit Is Mainly Regulated by the Collaborative Activity of PH8.1 and DIC2 Genes during Fruit Development

The pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) is an important accessory fruit in which the pear core is tarter than the pear pulp. However, the reason for the acidic core and diversity in the taste of the same fruit is not clear. In this study, we observed that the citrate contents were three times higher in the core than in the pulp, while the malate content decreased along with fruit development and was significantly lower in the core than in the pulp at 110 days after flowering. Overall transcript levels for citrate-malate synthesis-related genes increased more in the pear core than the pulp at early fruit development, while degradation-related genes activity was nearly similar or non-significant between the core and pulp during fruit development. The lesser malate accumulation in the pear core compared to the pulp at 110 DAF was possibly due to the reduced activity of tDT2 gene. Regarding citrate accumulation, we identified five important p-type H+-ATPase genes in pear and found that the relative expression level of the PH8.1 gene was four-fold higher in the core than in the pulp during fruit development. Moreover, the expression level of di-carboxylate carrier gene 2 (DIC2) was constantly and significantly higher in the core than in the pulp. In addition, correlation analysis signified that the transcript levels of the two genes PH8.1 and DIC2 positively and significantly correlated with the citrate contents. These results suggested that the increased and collaborative activity of PH8.1 and DIC2 played a key role in the higher citrate accumulation in the core than the pulp, thus, with the help of molecular breeding tools, the citrate contents can be optimized in pear fruit for divers and improved fruit flavoring.

Changes in sugar contents, amino acid, sterol and tocopherol compositions of prickly pear fruit and seed oils

In the present study, moisture, sugar, protein, amino acid, sterol and tocopherols contents and composition of prickly pear fruits and seed oils grown in different locations (Fethiye, Hatay, Anamur, Adana and Alanya) in Turkey were determined. Prickly pear fruit samples contained 38.92 (Adana) - 44.71% (Antalya) glucose, 24.95 (Fethiye) - 29.17% (Alanya) fructose and 0.15 (hatay) and 0.36% (Antalya) and 6.17 (Muğla)-0.34% (Antalya) protein depending on locations. While alanine contents of prickly pear pulp change between 0.09% (Fethiye) and 0.13% (Alanya), valine contentsof fruit samples changed between 0.09% (Fethiye) and 0.13% (Alanya). Proline contents of prickly pear fruits varied between 0.84 (Alanya) to 1.07% (Fethiye). β-sitosterol contents of fruits ranged from 762.76 (Adana) to 974.86 mg/100 g (İskenderun-Hatay) whereas the total sterol amounts of prickly pear seed oils were identified between 1113.76 (Fethiye) and 1710.35 mg/100 g (Hatay). ɣ-tocopherol amounts of prickly pear seed oils varied between 17.4 Mersin (Anamur) and 25.5 mg/100 g Antalya (Alanya) and other tocopherols were found at very low levels depending on the location.The most abundant tocopherol was ɣ-tocopherol (17.4 mg/100 g (Anamur) and 25.5 mg/100 g (Alanya). Hence it may be inferred that habitat (locations) had significant effects on protein, sugar, amino acid, sterol and tocopherol contents of prickly pear samples. Results were found partly similar, and differences observed can be due to genetic factors of prickly pear seeds and climatic factors of habitats because habitat is an effective factor on phytochemical constituents of plants.

Effect of different extraction methods on micro-component composition and oxidative stability of oil produced from African pear (Dacryodes edulis) mesocarp Oil

Three different methods, including Soxhlet, traditional and screw press, were used to extract oil from African pear pulp. The oils were analysed for selected minerals and phytonutrients; stored for 4 weeks and analysed for oxidative changes. The micro-components results ranged from 0.00 to 41.50% for chlorophyll, 0.00 to 1.25 µg/100g for total carotenoids, 0.02 to 0.04 mg/100g for iron, 0.00 to 0.01 mg/100g for copper, and 18.25 to 208.50 mg/100g for vitamin E. The oxidative stability results showed that peroxide values ranged from 0.13 to 2.69 meq O2/kg in week 1 to 0.92 to 3.62 meq O2/kg in week 4; FFA ranged from 0.36 to 7.04% in week 1 to 0.39 to 11.47% in week 4; density ranged from 0.89 to 0.91 g/cm3 in week 1 to 0.91 to 0.98 g/cm3 in week 4; viscosity ranged from 17.17 to 51.57 RVU in week 1 to 20.31 to 55.05 RVU in week 4 and thiobarbituric acid level ranged from 0.02 to 1.11 mg/g in week 1 to 0.09 to 1.31 mg/g in week 4. Soxhlet extraction method produced oil of best quality with significantly (p &lt; 0.05) higher mineral and phytonutrient contents, and of a longer storage stability.

Evaluation of Nutritional, Physico-Chemical and Function Properties of Cactus Pear Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Pulp and Cladode: A Comparative Study

The objective of this research was to evaluation of chemical, functional, and nutritional components of both pulp and cladode. The results indicated that cladode had higher moisture content (90.7%) and ash content (1.54%) compared to the pulp. While the cladode showed higher amount of protein content (1.08%), crude fiber (3.03%), crude fat (0.63%) and total carbohydrate (17.2%) compared to cladode. The significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher pH (6.96), TSS (18.45 °Brix) and titratable acidity (0.18%) were recorded in pulp of cactus pear compared to cladode. The range of mineral contents such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper and zink were recorded between (0.16–96.45), (2.34–16.23), (5.64–16.65), (27.16–33.55), and (50.56–65.94) (μg/100 g DW), respectively. It could be noticed that pulp of cactus pear had a higher content of vitamin C(75.07 mg/100 g FW) and lower content of carotenoids (2.41 μg/ml FW) as compared to cladode. The statically significant (P ≤0.05) and higher amino acids were found in cladode of cactus pear; the Valine (0.40–3.71 g/100 g) and Serine (1.74–3.34 g/100 g) were found higher in cladode. The high phenolic (2.2 g/100 g) and tannin content (2.55 g/100 g) compared to cladode extract 1.03 g/100 g (2.34 g/100 g) on dry basis, respectively. Phytic acid content was higher in cladode (0.55 g/100 g DW) than in the pulp (0.34 g/100 g DW). Pulp and cladode values were similar to each other for Sophisticated analytical Saponins contents 0.55 g/100 g DW. Sophisticated analytical approaches will promote the use of the cactus plants in foods, medicines, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

Optimization of Prickly Pear Juice Clarification for Better Retention of Betalain and Color Properties

Background: Prickly pear juices are considered as valuable ingredient for sports and energy drinks due to its higher amino acids contents, minerals and attractive red color. Hence, prickly pear fruit has received renewed interest for the production of juice. Up to date, relatively little work has been reported regarding the manufacturing of prickly pear products. Enzyme has proved to be the key element for producing clear and stable fruit juice. The present study aimed to optimize the processing parameters for enzymatic clarification of prickly pear juice. The results of this investigation are expected to provide the suitable process technology for the production of prickly pear juice with better retention of betalain content and color value. Methods: Prickly pear pulp was treated with pectinase enzyme at different concentrations (0.01-0.09%), incubation temperatures (40-60°C) and incubation time (60-180 min). The effect of enzymatic treatments on clarity, color index, betalain content and ascorbic acid content of juice were studied through response surface methodology by employing second order central composite rotatable design. Result: Response surface analysis determined the optimum condition for clarifying prickly pear juice as 0.036% enzyme concentration, 46°C incubation temperature and 112 min incubation time. At this condition, it was predicted to produce the prickly pear juice with clarity of 48.59% T, color index of 0.603 abs, betalain content of 542.93 mg/L of juice and ascorbic acid content of 9.35 mg/100 g with the desirability of 0.780.

Production and quality assessment of mayonnaise from blends of soybean oil and african pear (Dacryodes edulis) pulp oil

Mayonnaise is an oil-in-water emulsion rich in calorie, micronutrients and fat-soluble vitamins which is produced from dominantly vegetable oil. African pear oil is a highly unsaturated oil, domestically and commercially underutilize with tonnage of postharvest losses. It presently, has little or no industrial attraction for use as commercial ingredient for food production and formulation. The aim therefore is to improve the commercial value of African pear pulp oil for use as a main ingredient in food applications, hence improving its utilization and reducing postharvest losses. Oil was extracted from African pear through Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane as the solvent and the extracted oil was blended with soybean oil in the following ratios: SO100:APO0 (Control), SO0:APO100, SO85:APO15, SO75:APO25, SO65:APO35, and SO50:APO50 for the production of mayonnaise. Some physicochemical properties of the oil blends were evaluated while proximate and sensory properties were also evaluated in the produced mayonnaise. Blending increased theiodine, acid and free fatty acid values of the oil blends and decreased significantly (p &lt; 0.05) the peroxide value. The values ranged from 30.65 to 124.00 g iodine 100g–1, 6.85 to 2.57 mg KOH g–1, 5.03 to 1.91% and 2.62 to 3.50 meq O2 kg–1 for iodine, acid, free fatty acid and peroxide values, respectively. The proximate composition parameters of the mayonnaise samples increased significantly (p &lt; 0.05) after blending. The values ranged from 32.65 to 35.04% for moisture, 1.12 to 1.44% for ash, 30.15 to 37.15% for fat, 1.93 to 2.31% for protein and 25.87 to 34.15% for carbohydrate. Significant improvement was recorded in the values of vitamin E, iodine and viscosity values of the mayonnaise samples after blending compared to the control with values ranging from 4.97 to 22.60 mg 100g–1 for vitamin E, 28.70 to 88.10 g iodine 100g–1 for iodine value and 24.70 to 30.13 Pa.s for viscosity. Sensory evaluation showed that the mayonnaise samples were generally acceptable by the panelists. Conclusively, blending soybean oil with African pear oil up to 50:50 could be used in the production of acceptable mayonnaise with higher fat, protein, ash, vitamin E, iodine value and viscosity, thereby reducing its postharvest losses through improved utilization.

Utilization of cactus pear fruits’ pulp planted under severe drought conditions as source of natural pigments and antioxidant in cake making

Cactus pear is a dominant crop to arid lands with high nutritional value. Its fruits are used in food processing as add value to food products. The current study planted cactus pear under three irrigation regimes (T1, T2, and T3) where two of them (T2 and T3) implicated severe deficit irrigation conditions on the crop. The relationship between applied irrigation water regimes and fruit physical and chemical properties including antioxidants, pigment and vitamin C content was studied. The study also aimed to utilize cactus pear’s pulp (CPP), as additive value, in the processing of wheat flour cupcake. Samples of cupcake were made by adding 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% CPP based on wheat flour weight. Fruits obtained under T2 and T3 treatments had higher color concentration than T1. T2 irrigation regime yielded higher content of total phenolic and flavonoid content (TPC and TFC) than those produced under T3 and T1. Antioxidant activity was the highest in T2. Thus, fruit pulp obtained from T2 was selected for cupcake making. The content of soluble solids was ⁓18 Brix in all treatments. VitC. was significantly higher (P≤0.05) in T3 (56.04 g AA/kg) than T1 (55.42 g AA/kg) and T2 (51.01 AA/kg). The content of betacyanins in T1 was higher (0.47 mg100mg dry weight) in fruits pulp than T2 and T3 (0.44 and 0.54 mg100mg dry weight). Sensory evaluation showed that fortification with 60% cactus pear pulp had the best sensory characteristics meanwhile cupcakes fortified with 80% cactus pear pulp was not acceptable.

Preparation and Evaluation of Pear and Grapes Blended Leather

Pear pulp and grapes juice were used in different ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50) for the preparation of leather. The treatments were prepared with different concentration of pulp and constant level of sucrose and preservatives. The experiment was laid out in a complete randomized design (CRD). The effects of storage and treatments were studied for three months of storage with an interval of 15 days. Various parameters such as moisture, percent acidity, total soluble solids, water activity, ascorbic acid content, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar and sensory attributes i.e. colour, taste, texture and overall acceptability were studied. Significant differences were observed in all the studied parameters. A decrease was recorded in moisture (16.02 to 13.76%), ascorbic acid content (13.21 to 6.64 mg/100g), non-reducing sugar (67.02 to 64.76%) and water activity (0.50 to 0.45), while an increase was recorded in titratable acidity (0.88 to 1.01%), TSS (76.68 to 79.05 °brix) and reducing sugar (11.43 to 11.85%). Base on organoleptic evaluation T3 was found most acceptable during storage. The combination of 70% pear pulp and 30% grapes juice for leather preparation proved to be the best combination in terms of extending the shelf life and improving the quality of pear and grapes blended leather during storage.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Physico-chemical and Sensory Properties of Cookies Produced by Partial Substitution of Margarine with Avocado Pear (Persia americana)

The partial substitution of margarine with mature avocado pear pulp in the production of cookies was investigated. Five cookie samples were produced with avocado pear pulp and margarine blends in the ratios 80:20%, 70:30%, 60:40%, 50:50%, and 100% margarine serve as the control, labeled as B, C, D and E and A, respectively while the other ingredients used remain constant. The physico-chemical (proximate compositions, free fatty acids (FFA), iodine value, and peroxide value) and sensory qualities of the cookies were evaluated using standard methods. The results show ranged in moisture (11.13 to 14.60%), crude protein (6.93 to 7.83%), crude fat (16.00 to 18.03%), ash (1.40 to 2.09%), crude fiber (0.29 to 0.62%), carbohydrate (59.70 to 62.79%), FFA (0.35 to 1.01 mg KOH/g), iodine value (75.63 to 81.17 g I2/100 g) and peroxide value (2.96 to 5.27 meq/kg). The partial substitution of margarine with avocado pear pulp produced nutritious cookies with desirable organoleptic qualities. Also, the results demonstrated that cookies had acceptability up to a 30% level of substitution with avocado pear pulp. The findings indicated the feasibility of avocado pear pulp in fat-reduced cookies preparation, this will reduce the pressure in using only margarine in cookies making and diversify the use of avocado pear.

Comparative Analysis of the Physicochemical Characteristics, Phytochemical Components and Fatty Acid Profile of Avocado Pear (Persea Americana L) Pulp and Seed Oil

The physiochemical properties, phytochemical content, and fatty acid profile of Avocado pear (Persea americana) pulp and seeds oils were investigated. The pulp oil was extracted using the hot water flotation method while the seed oil was extracted by the soxhlet extraction method. Extracted oils were analyzed. The pulp oil was emerald green while the seed oil was brownish red in colour. Pulp oil has significantly higher blue (27B) on Lovibond scale. The oil yield, smoke point and flash point of the pulp oil were 28.26%, 171.00 °C and 201.67 °C respectively. Which were higher than 13.64%, 100.00 and 130.66 °C seen in the seed oil. Iodine value, FFA, peroxide value and saponification value of the pulp oil were respectively 50.70 g/100 g, 0.53%, 1.10 mEq/kg and 218.66 mgKOH/g while those of the seed oil were 40.68 g/100 g, 2.85%, 2.16 mEq/kg and 198.31 mgKOH/g respectively. Saponins, alkaloid, phenol, tannin, and oxalate content of the seed oil were significantly higher than those of the pulp oil, with respective values of 12.23, 1.06, 5.06, 3.05 and 10.07 mg/100 g. Flavonoid was however higher in the pulp oil, at 6.20 mg/100 g. avocado pulp oil contained 43.23% oleic acid, 19.78% linoleic acid. It contains only 35.31% total saturated fatty acids. The seed oil was shown to contain 55% palmitic acid, as the predominant saturated fatty acid and contained a total of 69% saturated fatty acids. It is recommended that avocado seed oil be refined before use for culinary purposes.

Microparticles of yellow-orange cactus pear pulp (Opuntia ficus-indica) with cladode mucilage and maltodextrin as a food coloring in yogurt

There is an increasing interest in the use of natural food colorants to substitute synthetic dyes that are health harmful. In this study, encapsulation conditions of yellow-orange cactus pear Opuntia ficus-indica pulp (P), were determined using maltodextrin (MD) as the encapsulating agent (EA). The effect of three encapsulating agents (cactus mucilage (M), MD, and mucilage-maltodextrin (M+MD) blend) on microparticle's characteristics, stability, and performance as a colorant in yogurt was assessed at optimal conditions determined by Response Surface Methodology. Optimal conditions for encapsulation with MD were inlet air temperature 150 °C and a 3:1 ratio, where pulp:encapsulating agent ratio had more influence than the temperature in the yield during encapsulation. Indicaxanthin encapsulation efficiency and yield were 100% and 51.2% (P-MD), 87% and 7% (P-M), and 93% and 11% (P-M+MD), respectively. P-MD system showed higher indicaxanthin stability and less color change stored at 60 °C. However, P-MD and P-M+MD microparticles were successfully tested as colorants in yogurt, and both colorants showed similar performance and stability (over 80% indicaxanthin retention). Cactus cladode mucilage with the addition of maltodextrin could be the encapsulating agent for yellow-orange cactus pear pulp, thus providing pigment protection as a yellow colorant for yogurt.