Development of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) powder and its food application

Abstract

: Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a delicious
fruit grown in Pakistan. It is known as temperate gold in
the northern areas of Pakistan. Apricot is rich in nutrients
like vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants,
carotenoids and xanthophylls but the fruit is highly
perishable and has a short shelf life. This study was carried
out to study the acceptability of apricot powder as a
functional instant drink and to determine the effect of
dehydration on the physicochemical properties of the
apricot powder. Apricots were dried in a cabinet dryer to
produce their powder that afterward was utilized in the
formulation of a drink. The apricot powder was stored for
45 days with 0, 15, 30 and 45 days intervals for its shelf
life study. The dehydrated apricots powder was subjected
to different physical and chemical analysis e.g. moisture, ash, fiber, bulk density, rehydration capacity, organic acid,
antioxidant activity and total phenolic compounds. The results
revealed that the moisture content ranged from 3.38 to 7.35
and the bulk density of the powder was increased from 34.37
to 46.88 during the storage, while the rehydration capacity
decreased from 4.38 to 3.98 and the ascorbic acid contents
decreased from 6.52 to 2.02 mg/100g gradually from 0 to 45
days of storage. Total phenolic contents decreased from 109.91
to 64.53 mg/100g GAE (Gallic Acid Equivalent) and the
antioxidant activity of the powder was also decreased from
65.83 to 28.54% during the storage of 45 days at ambient
temperature. Sensory characteristics of apricot powder drink
depicted acceptable scores for color, taste, flavor and
mouthfeel attributes. This study concludes that the apricot
powder with a long shelf life is quite suitable for the
development of instant drink to harvest functional and
nutraceutical benefits of apricot and to decrease economic
losses. © 2020 Department of Agricultural Sciences, AIOU