Soluble Fiber Content Research Articles

Development of healthy synbiotic corn-based snack: Nutritional composition and effect of agave fructan-alginate coating on survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus

This study aimed to prepare and evaluate synbiotic, healthy snacks called churritos with the incorporation of chickpea flour and agave fructans in the corn dough and a synbiotic, edible coating containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and agave fructans on the churritos' surface. The final products' chemical composition, glycemic index, FTIR spectrum, color, texture profile, and global acceptability were evaluated. The results showed that healthy churritos contain higher levels of protein and soluble fiber but lower content of lipids and sodium than commercial churritos. The snack formulation contained 4% agave fructans and showed a similar appearance and acceptability to commercial products. The addition of agave fructans to the edible coating protects L. acidophilus throughout the edible coating drying process. In addition, it contributes to a partial protective effect during the first days of storage at room temperature.

Low fat and high protein meat analogue of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) with stabilizer cocoa pod husk extract (Theobroma cacao L.)

Meat analogue is a plant-based protein product with nutritional and sensory qualities similar to conventional meat. Meat analogue is usually made from wheat flour. People with gluten intolerance can not consume wheat flour. Gluten-free meat analogue is appropriate for such people. In this research, gluten-free meat analogue was made from cowpea flour and cocoa pod husk extract, in three different formulations. Cocoa pod husk extract serves as stabilizer and sticking agent. The formulation was based on the ratio of the main ingredients. The ratios were 98.5:1.5 (A), 99.0:1.0 (B), and 99.5:0.5 (C). The control meat analogue was made from cowpeas flour and commercial pectin with the ratio of 98.5: 1.5. The parameter of quality was the physicochemical aspect including moisture content, ash content, fat content, protein content, carbohydrate content, fibre content, amino acid quality, and in vitro protein digestibility. In addition, the microbiological, texture, and sensory analysis were also conducted. Meat analogue B had 41.56% water content, 4.71% ash content, 3.88% fat content, 19.16% protein content, 8.75% soluble fibre content, 10.21% insoluble fibre content, protein digestibility 65.94%, total plate count of 4.40×102 CFU/g and yeast and mould count of 2.27×102 CFU/g. It is considered the best formulation among the meat analogues.

Influence of pre-baking and frozen storage on the technological and nutritional quality of a multi-seed bread

Today's tendency is to prepare baking products by replacing wheat flour with wholemeal flours, and submitting them to preparation processes so they can be eaten at any time, to guarantee their nutritional and organoleptic properties, such as high-value nutritional food, and to extend the shelf life of the product, for more demanding consumers. This work's originality is shown in its holistic exploration of innovative baking practices, its unique approach regarding preservation through prebaking/freezing/storage, and its meticulous examination of nutritional and technofunctional attributes of an optimal formulation with innovative ingredients. This work studies the behaviour of easily made, multiseed bread made with quinoa, chia and amaranth flours to prepare and eat by applying a prebaking/freezing/storage process. The results were compared to the control product made only with wheat flour, which was processed under the same conditions. The technofunctional and nutritional properties (mineral bioavailability, amino acids content and fatty acids profile), and the prebaking-freezing effect on them, were investigated. Essential amino acids (EAAs; i.e., lysine, valine, leucine) were not lost during the frozen storage process, and respectively exceeded the control product by 50%, 10% and 5%. The difference in colour (ΔE*) between the control and the multiseed products was below 5 after baking/storage, which indicates that a colour change could not be perceived by consumers. After freezes storage, amylopectin retrogradation enthalpy was up to 33% lower than in the control sample, possibly due to the action of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the soluble fibre content present in the multiseed product. This bread formulation could meet adults' nutritional requirements regarding calcium and diet fibre with a daily intake of 100 g.

The Effect of Atmospheric Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma Treatment on the Nutritional and Physicochemical Characteristics of Various Legumes.

High activity of lipoxygenase (LOX) has been identified as a primary cause of oxidative rancidity in legumes. In this study, the application of dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) (5 W, 10 min) resulted in an obvious decrease in LOX activity in mung bean (MB), kidney bean (KB), and adzuki bean (AB) flours by 36.96%, 32.49%, and 28.57%, respectively. Moreover, DBD-ACP induced significant increases (p < 0.05) in content of soluble dietary fiber, saturated fatty acids, and methionine. The starch digestibility of legumes was changed, evidenced by increased (p < 0.05) slowly digestible starch and rapidly digestible starch, while resistant starch decreased. Furthermore, DBD-ACP treatment significantly affected (p < 0.05) the hydration and thermal characteristics of legume flours, evidenced by the increased water absorption index (WAI) and gelatinization temperature, and the decreased swelling power (SP) and gelatinization enthalpy (ΔH). Microscopic observations confirmed that DBD-ACP treatment caused particle aggregation.

Optimization of sorbitol, fructooligosaccharides and sugar levels in the syrup based on physicochemical properties and sensory acceptance of healthy, sweet egg yolk drop (a traditional egg-based dessert) using response surface methodology

ABSTRACT Sweet egg yolk drops are one of the traditional Thai desserts made by dropping egg yolk batter into a boiling syrup with high sugar concentration to form teardrop shapes. The objectives of this study were to optimize the ratio of sugar substitutes (sorbitol and fructooligosaccharides (FOS)) and reduce the amount of sugar in syrup for the development of sugar-reduced egg yolk desserts. Effects of three ratios of sorbitol to FOS (25:75, 50:50, and 75:25) and four percentages of sugar reduction (25, 50, 75, and 100%) on the physical, chemical and sensory properties of desserts were also investigated. Results indicated that increasing the ratio of sorbitol and decreasing the percentage of sugar in syrup led to desserts with decreased color a* and b* values, bulk density, hardness, cohesiveness, soluble fiber, and reducing-sugar content. The opposite effect was observed in desserts made with syrup, which had higher ratios of FOS and lower levels of sugar. The optimum formulation of desserts based on response surface methodology (RSM) contained a ratio of 25:75–30:70 of sorbitol to FOS and 60–65% reduction of sugar in syrup. The comparison of the predicted values from the model of the optimized dessert with experimental values showed that the model was well-fitted. Moreover, the optimized dessert had higher sensory acceptability when compared to the full-sugar sweet egg yolk drops. Therefore, the results indicate that sorbitol and FOS could be used as sugar substitutes in syrup to produce a healthier and lower calorie egg-based dessert.

Nutritional quality and bioactive compounds of arugula (Eruca sativa L.) sprouts and microgreens

SummaryAs an alternative to vegetables in their traditional stages of maturation, sprouts, and microgreens are increasing in popularity mainly due to the potential health benefit of the contents of bioactive compounds. This work aimed to evaluate and compare the nutritional profile and the bioactive compounds of arugula (Eruca sativa L.) sprouts and microgreens produced organically in a hydroponic system. Seeds were placed in phenolic foams and soaked in water for 48 h to promote germination according to the supplier's recommendation. Sown trays were placed on top of perforated polystyrene boards and irrigated using a nutrient solution. Seeded trays were kept in a controlled environment and were exposed to 12 h photoperiod. Sprouts were harvested after 7 days of germination, while the microgreens were harvested after 14. As a result, these vegetables showed a high protein content, with sprouts being statistically different from microgreens (24.8% sprouts; 18.2% microgreens), with an excellent content of total fibre (34.3% sprouts; 28.7% microgreens) and soluble fibre (11.5% sprouts; 6.7% microgreens). Regarding the bioactive compounds, the predominance of carotenoids zeaxanthin and β‐carotene in the sprouts (41.8 and 19.8 μg g−1, respectively) and the identification of more compounds as O‐glucosides derived from flavonoids in the microgreens were noted.

Productive, Qualitative, and In Vitro Fermentation Traits of Amaranthus Grains as Potential Ingredients for Pig Diet

The present work compared the agronomic traits, chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and in vitro fermentation characteristics of twelve accessions of Amaranthus spp., belonging to A. cruentus, A. hybridus, A. hypochondriacus, and A. tricolor, grown in a semiarid Mediterranean area. Among accessions, Benin and Arizona (A. cruentus) and Pennsylvania (A. hypochondriacus) showed the highest seed yield (on average, 322.1 g m−2), while Taiwan (A. tricolor) and India and Iowa (A. hypochondriacus) the highest thousand seed weight (on average, 0.81 g). Among the species, A. hypochondriacus showed the highest crude protein (16 g 100g−1), starch (51.5 g 100g−1), and soluble detergent fiber (2.03 g 100g−1) contents and the most favorable in vitro fermentation characteristics with the highest short-chain fatty acid (SCFA 52.6 mmol g−1) and butyric acid (20.7% SCFA) production together with the lowest crude fiber (4.93 g 100g−1) and insoluble dietary fiber (12.5 g 100g−1) content. Arizona (A. cruentus) showed the highest level of monounsaturated fatty acids (32.67 g 100g−1), Ohio (A. hybridus) had the highest levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (44.62 g 100g−1) and n6-PUFA (44.21 g 100g−1), and India (A. hypochondriacus) had the highest level of n3-PUFA (0.63 g 100g−1). A. hypochondriacus exhibited not only desirable nutritive characteristics, agronomic traits, and suitability to Mediterranean growing conditions, but also a potential beneficial effect. Nonetheless, it is recommended to run longer-term field trials to confirm these findings and to assess the genotype by environment interaction either with current accessions or others from the wide Amaranth germplasm available.

Effect of Flax Cake and Lupine Flour Addition on the Physicochemical, Sensory Properties, and Composition of Wheat Bread

Bread is consumed by people all over the world. Its quality may be modified by the application of other raw materials or changes in production technology. The addition of flax cake (FC) and lupine flour (LF) was proposed as a modification of the nutritional value of wheat bread. Bread with non-fermented and fermented FC and LF was prepared, and its physicochemical, sensory properties and composition were compared to wheat bread. A higher than 5% addition of these components reduced the bread volume and increased their hardness, gumminess, and chewiness. To reduce the negative impact of these additives on the physical and sensory properties of bread, these raw materials were fermented by selected starter cultures. The addition of FC and LF fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum lowered the undesirable changes in the physicochemical properties of the bread. It also slightly increased the overall acceptability of the products. Propionic fermentation lowered sensory assessment rates considerably. The following changes in the composition of bread prepared with the addition of fermented by L. plantarum FC and LF were noted: increase in protein (by ~30%), ash (by ~100%), both soluble and insoluble fiber (by ~500%) content. The starch content was reduced by about 18–20%. The modifications increased the nutritional value of the obtained bread, preserving its physicochemical properties and sensory acceptability.

Effects of Co-Modification by Extrusion and Enzymatic Hydrolysis on Physicochemical Properties of Black Wheat Bran and Its Prebiotic Potential.

Black wheat bran (BWB) is an important source of dietary fiber (DF) and phenolic compounds and has stronger nutritional advantages than ordinary WB. However, the low content of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) negatively influences its physicochemical properties and nutritive functions. To obtain a higher content of SDF in BWB, we evaluated the impact of co-modification by extrusion and enzymes (cellulase, xylanase, high-temperature α-amylase, and acid protease) on water extractable arabinoxylan (WEAX) in BWB. An optimized co-modification method was obtained through single-factor and orthogonal experiments. The prebiotic potential of co-modified BWB was also evaluated using pooled fecal microbiota from young, healthy volunteers. The commonly investigated inulin served as a positive control. After co-modification, WEAX content was dramatically increased from 0.31 g/100 g to 3.03 g/100 g (p < 0.05). The water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, and cholesterol adsorption capacity (pH = 2.0 and pH = 7.0) of BWB were increased by 100%, 71%, 131%, and 133%, respectively (p < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated a looser and more porous microstructure for co-modified BWB granules. Through in vitro anerobic fermentation, co-modified BWB achieved a higher content of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus than inulin fermentation. In addition, co-modified BWB induced the highest butyric acid production, indicating high potential as prebiotics. The results may contribute to improving technologies for developing high-fiber-content cereal products.

Effect of steam explosion treatment on physicochemical, functional and structural properties of pomelo fruitlets

This study was aimed to investgate the effects of steam explosion (SE) with different temperatures at 120–220 °C on the physicochemical, functional and structural properties of pomelo fruitlets. SE treatment changed monosaccharide composition, increased total dietary fiber (TDF) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) contents of pomelo fruitlets. Especially at 160 °C SE treatment, TDF and SDF content was 13.57% and 25.94% higher than that of the control one (p < 0.05). Moreover, water- and oil-holding capacity, swelling capacity, and invitro hypolipidemic activity (based on bile acid salt binding capacities increased by 7.95%–17.13% and pancreatic lipase inhibition capacities increased by 2.46%–6.75%) of pomelo fruitlets were significantly increased by appropriate SE conditions at 140–160 °C. This might be related to the fragmentation and porous surface structure of SE treated sample. In addition, SE treated pomelo fruitlets had higher crystallinity and thermal stability due to the rearrangement of cellulose molecular chains. It was revealed that SE treatment can effectively improve the physicochemical properties and hypolipidemic activity of pomelo fruitlets through structural changes. Our findings can provide the theoretical basis for the high value application of pomelo fruitlets as functional products through SE modification.

Effect of Processing on the Chemical Composition and Phytochemical Properties of Lentinus squarrosulus Mushroom Flour

Aims: To assessing the effect of boiling and fermentation on Proximate, mineral, dietary fibre and phytochemical compositions of the raw and processed Lentinus squarrosulus mushroom.&#x0D; Study Design: The mushroom was cultivated, processed into boiled and fermented flour and then analysed.&#x0D; Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Food Science and Technology, the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State and Department of Food Technology, The Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti, between February 2020 and March 2022.&#x0D; Methodology: Lentinus squarrosulus spawn was obtained and grown into edible mushroom. The mushroom was divided into three, two portions were processed into boiled and fermented mushroom and the third one was used as control. The three samples were analysed for proximate, mineral, dietary fibre and phytochemical compositions.&#x0D; Results: The proximate composition revealed that moisture content ranged between 10.78-11.66%, ash 5.58-6.11%, fat 3.93-5.10%, crude fibre 6.79-7.29%, protein 16.88-20.53%, carbohydrate 51.24-53.88% and the energy value 321.41-330.15 kcal/100 g. Fermentation helped to improve the protein content of the sample. Mineral composition revealed that the samples were significantly different (p&lt;0.05). Fermented sample had higher value in sodium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron, boiled sample was high in calcium and selenium while raw mushroom was high in manganese and zinc. Boiled sample has the least soluble fibre but high in insoluble fibre, this may be as a result of the soluble fibre being dissolved in water during boiling, but fermentation improved the soluble fibre content. The phytochemical composition revealed that fermentation improved the saponin and cardiac glycoside, boiling improved the terpenoid and cardiac glycoside while phlobatannin was only present in a small quantity in raw sample.&#x0D; Conclusion: Fermentation and boiling process helped to improve some nutrients in the processed mushroom flour and they can be used as food supplements.

Image mapping of biological changes and structure-function relationship during rice grain development via Synchrotron FTIR spectroscopy

The spatial distribution of compositional elements in milky, dough, and mature rice, together with the structure-function relationship was studied using synchrotron-FTIR. The dough stage aleurone and endosperm had high lipid, protein (amide I and II), and hemicellulose. The amylopectin chain length distribution of starch exhibited small differences among developmental stages. Dough starch featured a greater portion of A and B1 chains, implying a more crystalline and high in resistant starch. The protein in milky-to-dough stage aleurone and endosperm had higher contents of α-helixes than β-sheets, resulting in higher protein digestibility and availability. There were high intensities of the glycosidic peaks of hemicellulose and cellulose, pectin, carbohydrates, and β 1–6 glucans in milky-to-dough stages. They corresponded to higher total, insoluble, and soluble dietary fiber contents in milky-to-dough stage than in mature stage. Young-stage rice was found to be more nutritious and could thus be a functional food source.

Mineral Content and Phytochemical Composition of Avocado var. Hass Grown Using Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Ecuador.

Avocado demand has increased in recent years due to the nutraceutical properties that this fruit has and its positive impacts on human health; however, avocado production also requires sustainable alternatives to improve its cultivation. The objective of this study was to carry out characterization of the mineral content and phytochemical compounds in avocado fruit of the Hass variety grown using sustainable agricultural practices in Ecuador. Our results show an increase in fruit quality traits, such as firmness, and in the content of soluble solids, protein, fiber, fat, carotenoids, Ca, Mg, Zn and stearic acid in the pulp of the avocado Hass variety, as well as an initial trend of yield increase with the application of sustainable practices. Moreover, antioxidant activity was associated with polyphenol content. There were positive correlations of Mg with K and Ca, and of flavonoids with linolelaidic, linoleic and linolenic acids. Overall, our results indicate that avocado can be used as a functional and nutritional food due to its phytochemical composition and the mineral content of its pulp, which contributes to the promotion of its consumption and encourages healthy eating. In addition, the use of sustainable practices, such as fertigation and the application of microorganisms, is also promoted for growing avocado.

The impact of apple destructuring and thermal treatment on bioactive compounds: the fate of dietary fibre and polyphenols in puree and homogenate

SummaryThe present study aimed at understanding the response of dietary fibres and phenolic compounds to apple matrix disintegration and thermal treatment. Apple was processed by mimicking industrial operations of blanching, destructuring by high‐speed homogenisation (HSH) or high‐pressure homogenisation (HPH), and pasteurisation. A viscous puree (0.73 Pa × s), made of juice embedding intact cells and large cell clusters, was obtained by HSH. Conversely, HPH completely disrupted apple tissue leading to a fluid homogenate (0.27 Pa × s) in which the fibrous matrix was suspended. Despite these differences, apple puree and homogenate presented similar content of total and soluble dietary fibre, with no significant differences in the chemical structure of apple pectin, as demonstrated by FT‐IR and NMR analyses. Apple puree and homogenate retained more than 80% of the phenolic content originally present in apple pulp (about 2125 mg/gdw) without detriment to radical scavenging activity. This minor phenolic depletion, regardless of the different extent of mechanical disintegration, was mainly due to the decrease of thermolabile flavanols upon application of analogous heat treatments.

Extrusion effects on the starch and fibre composition of Canadian pulses

Pulses are important as alternative sources of protein and carbohydrates for the animal industry and, thus, require accurate evaluation of their nutrient profile during processing. Extrusion is a thermal processing of ingredients to induce physiochemical changes that convert them into more valuable products. The current study evaluated the effects of extrusion on the starch and fibre components of Amarillo peas, Dun peas, chickpeas, faba beans, lentils, and soybean meal (SBM). Pulses were extruded at 18% or 22% moisture and 110, 130, or 150 °C. Extrusion decreased ( P &lt; 0.05) the starch content in Amarillo and Dun peas but increased ( P &lt; 0.05) the same in faba beans, lentils, and SBM when compared with their whole counterparts. There was no difference in the total dietary fibre content of whole and extruded Amarillo peas, Dun peas, chickpeas, and SBM. Extrusion increased ( P &lt; 0.05) the soluble dietary fibre (SDF) content of all pulses and SBM except chickpeas. Extrusion increased ( P &lt; 0.05) for all fibre types in faba beans. Results indicate that extrusion increased the starch and SDF content of most pulses but had negative or no effects on other fibre components in all pulses except faba beans.

Fermentation of grapefruit peel by an efficient cellulose-degrading strain, (Penicillium YZ-1): Modification, structure and functional properties of soluble dietary fiber

In the study, a highly efficient cellulose-degrading strain was screened, which was identified as a fungus in the genus Penicillium sp., named YZ-1. The content of soluble dietary fiber was greatly increased by the treatment of this strain. In addition, the effects of soluble dietary fiber from high-pressure cooking group (HG-SDF), strain fermentation group (FG-SDF) and control group (CK-SDF) on the physicochemical structure, and in vitro hypolipidemic activity were investigated. The results showed that the physicochemical structure of the raw materials was improved after fermentation, and FG-SDF exhibited the loosest structure, the highest viscosity and thermal stability. Furthermore, compared to CK-SDF and HG-SDF, FG-SDF showed the most significant improvement in functional properties, including cholesterol adsorption capacity (CAC), inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity (LI) and mixed bile acid adsorption capacity (BBC). Overall, these findings will provide new insights into dietary fiber modification and improve the comprehensive use value of grapefruit by-products.

Effects of Germination, Fermentation and Extrusion on the Nutritional, Cooking and Sensory Properties of Brown Rice Products: A Comparative Study

In this study, cooked brown rice (BR), germinated brown rice (GBR), fermented brown rice (FBR) and white rice (WR) were prepared by traditional cooking techniques, and extruded brown rice (EBR) was obtained by extrusion processing technology. The nutritional, cooking and sensory properties of different BR products were investigated. The results indicated that the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) content, free total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant capacity (DPPH, ABTS, T-AOC) in processed BR products were significantly higher than those in cooked BR and WR. The values of SDF, free TPC, TFC and T-AOC in EBR increased by 38.78%, 232.36%, 102.01% and 153.92%, respectively, compared with cooked BR. Cooked FBR and EBR had more nutrients, required less cooking time, had a softer texture and were whiter than cooked GBR and BR, especially EBR. In addition, the water absorption rate of EBR was 14.29% and 25.41% higher than that of cooked FBR and GBR. The hardness of EBR was significantly lower than that of cooked FBR and BR, even lower than that of cooked WR. However, there was no significant difference between the hardness of cooked GBR and that of cooked BR. The flavor compounds in EBR were similar to that of cooked WR, while those in cooked GBR and FBR did not differ greatly compared to cooked BR. Collectively, cooked FBR and EBR had better nutritional value, cooking and sensory properties than cooked BR, and the comprehensive value of EBR was higher.

Effect of Layered Debranning Processing on the Proximate Composition, Polyphenol Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Whole Grain Wheat

Layered debranning processing (LDP) of whole grain wheat (WGW) could not only retain more bioactive compounds but also contributes to grain saving policy as compared with the refined wheat flour (WF). In this study, effect of different debranning rates from 0 to 13.37% on the proximate composition, polyphenol content, and the antioxidant activity were analyzed. As debranning rates increased from 0 to 13.37%, the insoluble dietary fiber content decreased from 9.94% to 6.47%, whereas the soluble dietary fiber contents increased from 3.06% to 3.98%. The free phenolic content decreased by 62.72%, while the free flavonoid content increased by 4.68% with debranning rates increasing. For the phenolic acids, protocatechuic acid and ferulic acid dominated the free and bound phenolic acid in WGW, which showed the highest contents at 6.95% and 4.45% debranning rates, respectively. As for flavonoids, naringenin (the free-state phenolic) and rutin (the bound state phenolic) in WGW had the greatest level at 4.45% debranning rate. As compared to WGW and WF, LDP significantly improved the DPPH, ABTS·+ radical scavenging activities and total antioxidant activities. In conclusion, 4.45% and 6.95% were the best debranning rates to retain polyphenol contents and antioxidant activities.

Soluble and Insoluble Dietary Fibre in Date Fruit Varieties: An Evaluation of Methods and Their Implications for Human Health.

Dietary fibre analysis is expensive due to its reliance on enzymes such as α-amylase, protease, and amyloglucosidase. This study investigated whether enzymes are essential in analysing insoluble, soluble, and total dietary fibre (IDF, SDF and TDF) contents in dry fruits with very low starch and protein contents. The IDF, SDF, and TDF were measured in date fruits using the enzymatic gravimetric method AOAC 991.43 in the ANKOM dietary fibre analyser, with and without enzymatic digestion. The study analysed six date fruit varieties with a range of texture profiles. Our results highlighted agreement between both methods in the measured IDF, SDF, and TDF values. TDF values in date fruit varieties varied considerably, from 5.67% g/100 g to 10.33% g/100 g. Results from both methods also indicate that IDF constituted the bulk of dietary fibre content in all date fruit varieties (77.8% to 91.6%), while the proportion of SDF was between 8.4% and 22.2%. This study confirms that dates are a rich source of dietary fibre, and can be a valuable functional ingredient in foods that reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The study confirmed that the inexpensive non-enzymatic technique is a viable substitute for the enzymatic method for analysing dietary fibre in dry fruits.

Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Content, Antioxidant Activity, and Nutritional Profile of Ziziphus mauritiana Fruit Juice

Ziziphus mauritiana is a plant species belonging to the Rhamnaceae family. It is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, and in Indonesia, this plant grows wild and thrives on the islands of Bali, Lombok and Sumbawa. The fruits of Z. mauritiana are edible, however, in Indonesia, it is underutilized and has very low economic value. To evaluate its possibility to be developed as a functional food, this study was conducted to determine the total phenolics and flavonoids, dietary fiber, and nutrients contained in the fruit juice of Ziziphus mauritiana. Total phenols and flavonoids contents were determined using Folin Ciocalteu and AlCl3 methods, respectively. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the juice was evaluated using the DPPH method. The content of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber was determined using the standard AOAC analysis method, and proximates analysis was conducted in accordance with SNI 01-2891-1992. The results of this study revealed that freeze-dried juice of Z. mauritiana fruit has total phenols content of 1690 mg GAE/100g, total flavonoids of 15.10 mg QE/100g, soluble dietary fiber of 0.61%, and insoluble dietary fiber 2.03%. However, the antioxidant activity of Ziziphus mauritiana fruit juice was weak with IC50 328.54 ppm. The proximate analysis revealed the crude fiber in the freeze-dried fruit juice was 0.56%, carbohydrates 82.43%, protein 3.34%, fats 0.31%, ash 3.62%, and water 10.30%. In conclusion, Ziziphus mauritiana fruit juice has a high content of total phenolic substances, high dietary fiber, and high nutritional value, therefore it has a good potential to be developed as a functional food.