Physicochemical, nutritional, microbial, and sensory analysis of thermal and non-thermal processed 'Chokanan' mango (Mangifera indica L.) juice.
Santhirasegaram V., Razali Z., Somasundram C.
Author Affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences & Centre for Research in Biotechnology for Agriculture (CEBAR), Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
: 573-577
Abstract : The increasing demand for high quality fruit juice along with safety standards have spurred the development of non-thermal processing such as sonication and UV-C treatment. In this study, freshly squeezed 'Chokanan' mango juice was subjected to sonication for 15 min at 25°C, 40 kHz frequency, UV-C treatment for 15 min at 25°C, and a combination of both methods. The effects of non-thermal treatment on quality characteristics (physicochemical, nutritional, microbial, and sensorial) were evaluated and compared with untreated (control) and thermally treated juice at 90°C for 60 s. No significant changes were observed in pH and total soluble solids. Non-thermal treated juice showed significant improvement in selected quality parameters. Overall, the combined effect of sonication and UV-C treatment exhibited the highest enhancement in extractability of carotenoids (11%), polyphenols (23%), and flavonoids (29%), when compared to the control. In addition, thermal and non-thermal treatment showed significant reduction in microbial load. Sensory attributes (colour, odour, taste, and overall acceptability) were evaluated by 30 panelists using a hedonic scale, and results showed that non-thermal treated juice was preferred more than thermally treated juice. The sensory evaluation verified that the combination of sonication and ultraviolet-c was the most acceptable treatment as an alternative to thermal treatment to produce safer and better quality mango juice.