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Assessment on quality and stability of oven dried gac fruit aril (Momordica cochinchinensis
Spreng) powder and its application in ice cream

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1 Anua Nur Fadzira, Tufail Ahmad Fauziah, Yahya Faridah*

1 Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus,
Terengganu, Malaysia.

* Corresponding author: faridahy@umt.edu.my

Abstract:

Gac (Momordica cochinchinesis Spreng) is an underutilized fruit with substantial amount of
carotenoid. The natural intense color of gac is mainly contributed by carotenoid which make it
potential as natural colorant. However, natural carotenoid is unstable and easily oxidized. Hence,
drying is required to preserve the bioactive compounds. Freeze drying has been reported as the best
preservation however, small and medium-sized of enterprises (SMEs) of food may not afford the
expensive equipment. Oven drying is good potent for commercial practice but limited of information
available on the quality of oven-dried gac aril powder. Digestion of high lipophilic carotenoid
incorporated in lipid-based matrices like ice cream may promotes high absorption by human body
compared to other food applications. The objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of
various temperatures of oven drying on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity oven-
dried gac aril powder and to determine the physicochemical properties, antioxidant and sensory
acceptability of ice cream incorporated with oven dried aril gac powder during storage. The puree of
fresh gac aril will be oven-dried at temperatures of 30, 40, 50 and 60°C and its physicochemical
properties of colour, total soluble solid, morphological structure, proximate composition as well as
total phenolic compound, antioxidant activity and concentration of β-carotene will be determined in
triplicate. Aril gac powder containing the highest antioxidant content will be incorporated in ice cream
formulation with different percentages of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. The physicochemical,
antioxidant properties and sensory acceptability of treated ice cream during 60 days of storage with
interval of 15 days will be carried out in triplicate. This research would lead to help the food industry
to produce potential ingredient of aril gac powder which effectively preserve the natural antioxidant
and act as natural food colorant prior to be applied in food products.

Keywords: Antioxidant Activity, β-carotene, Ice-cream, Lycopene, Momordica cochinchinensis
Spreng

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