Intermediate moisture kinnow bar from low grade kinnow mandarins: Phytonutritional profile, morphological characterization, and storage stability

Effects of pH, Total Soluble Solids, and Pectin Concentration on Color, Texture, Vitamin C, and Sensory Quality of Mango Fruit Bar

Mango purée is a byproduct of the current production processes (such as freeze-drying, dehydration) after the product shaping stage or grades II and III mangoes. Currently, fruit bar is a convenient and highly nutritious snack made from fruit. The objective of this study is to utilize mango byproduct in order to develop a fruit bar processing technology, which is based on evaluating the quality (color, break force, vitamin C content, and sensory) when varying the pH of mango purée and the concentration of added pectin. Additionally, total soluble solids (TSS) after blending at 80°C were also investigated. The increase in pH, pectin concentration of mango purée, and TSS after blending showed that vitamin C content in fruit bars tended to decrease. TSS results revealed that at TSS = 63°Bx, pH 3.3, and a pectin concentration of 1.3%, the product received a high rating of 6.3. Additionally, the vitamin C content of the product reached 7.82 mg/100 gDW. The results of this study are expected on the diversification of products from mango. Solving the situation that grades II and III mangoes are difficult to be commercialized and making the most of the byproduct mango flesh after certain production processes.

Physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant potential, and shelf stability of developed roselle-fig fruit bar

Fruit bars are prepared by combining different ingredients which are wholesome and nutrient rich. The current study was designed to develop roselle-fig (different proportions) fruit bars and further investigate their physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant potential. Moreover, the prepared fruit bars were scrutinized for microbial and sensory characteristics to assess the appropriateness of ingredients during storage (up to 90 days). It was observed that there was gradual increase in moisture content with the passage of time, while ash, fat, fiber, and protein contents did not change significantly during storage. The pH and total soluble solid contents of these fruit bars during storage were 3.54-4.07 and 1.71-1.86 Brix, respectively. According to the mean values for sensory evaluation, T ₂ was preferred over other treatments. The bars received an acceptable sensory evaluation, demonstrating that they were suitable for 90 days of storage. Phytochemical quantities significantly increased in subsequent treatments, but decreased during storage in all the treatments. Similar trend was observed regarding total antioxidant and DPPH radical scavenging activities. The mineral contents increased significantly among the treatments. The microbial analysis of fruit bars exposed that the fruit were microbiologically safe. Hence, on the basis of the results obtained in this study, it may be concluded that the developed roselle-fig fruit bar would be acceptable and nutritious regarding physicochemical characteristics, microbiological quality, and antioxidant potential.

The influence of conventional and novel blanching methods on potato granules, phytochemicals, and thermal properties of colored varieties

Introduction

Colored potatoes comprise many bioactive compounds that potentially support human health. Polyphenols present in them have associated therapeutic benefits like antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties.

Method

The current study aimed to explore the effects of different blanching methods (steam blanching, hot water blanching, and microwave-assisted blanching) on the phytochemical and structural aspects of PP-1901 and Lady Rosetta (LR) potato varieties. Changes in the antioxidant activity, color, total ascorbic acid, phenolic, and flavonoid content were based on the variations in parameters including temperature (blanching using hot water and steam) and capacity 100- 900 W (blanching using microwave).

Results

For both PP-1901 and LR varieties, all the blanching methods led to a significant reduction in residual peroxidase activity, as well as affecting their color. The preservation of bioactive substances exhibited a microwave steam>hot water blanching trend. Blanching significantly increased the antioxidant activity of all the samples. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that phytocompounds were retained to their maximum in microwave-blanched samples, especially at 300 W. The type of blanching method significantly affected the thermal properties of potatoes by disrupting the ordered structure of the matrix.

Discussion

Microwaves at 300 W can be used as a novel and suitable alternative technique for blanching potatoes, which successfully retained the original quality of it in comparison to steam and hot water blanching.