Nutritional and functional properties of dried momordica cochinchinensis spreng. Fruit aril and its application in cheese spread production

Issue Date

12-2020

Abstract

Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng. is an underutilized fruit-bearing indigenous plant in the Philippines with great potential due to its reported nutritional properties. The aril portion of the fruit was used because of its high carotenoid content. The aril was dried using oven drying (60°C) and freeze drying methods to a final moisture content of 15%, and then compared in terms of its lycopene, β-carotene, and Vitamin A contents as well as antioxidant activity. To determine the potential of the dried aril as an additive to produce a fortified product, it was added at an amount of 4 g per 100 g of cheese spread then its nutritional properties were evaluated. Results showed that freeze dried aril has high β-carotene (2090.28 µg/g) and Vitamin A (3483.80 IU/g) but is not significantly different than the oven-dried aril while the oven-dried aril has significantly higher lycopene content (405.22 µg/g) than the freeze dried aril (325.84 µg/g). Furthermore, the freeze dried aril has significantly higher antioxidant activity (29.81%) than the oven-dried aril (16.27%). The addition of the dried aril to cheese spread resulted to a product with significantly higher lycopene (30.15 µg/g), β-carotene (24.93 µg/g), Vitamin A (41.55 IU/g), and Vitamin C (1.20 mg/100 g) compared to the cheese spread with no aril powder. Thus, a serving size of 1 tbsp (20 g) of the cheese spread with aril powder can provide 17% daily value for Vitamin A and has satisfied the definition of fortified food as well as the USDA standard reference for Vitamin A. This functional ingredient can therefore address concerns on Vitamin A deficiency.

Source or Periodical Title

Food Research

Volume

4

Issue

6

Page

1947-1953.

Document Type

Article

Physical Description

illustrations, figures, graph, tables, references

Language

English

Subject

Antioxidant activity, Functional ingredient, Lycopene, Momordica cochinchinensis, β-carotene

Identifier

DOI:10.26656/fr.2017.4(6).221

Digital Copy

yes

En – AGROVOC descriptors

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY; FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENT; LYCOPENE; MOMORDICA COCHINCHINENSIS; B-CAROTENE

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