Bitter gourd extract was clarified by cross flow ultrafiltration using a hollow fiber module under total recycle mode using polysulfone based membrane. The 70 kDa membrane was found to be the most suitable among the 10-, 44-, 70-, and 120 kDa molecular weight cut-off membranes. Variations of various resistances, viz. membrane hydraulic resistance, pore blocking resistance, and fouling layer resistance with operating conditions were examined. Effect of transmembrane pressure and cross flow rate on flux and quality parameters were examined and based on these results 138 kPa transmembrane pressure and 30 L/hr cross flow rate were found suitable operating conditions for processing of extract. Storage study revealed that the ultrafiltered extract could be successfully stored for 20 weeks without any additive, preservative and flavoring agent, maintaining its natural taste, aroma, nutrition, flavor, color, smell, and other nutritional qualities at par to fresh extract.
Practical applicationsAqueous extract of vegetables possesses many ingredients having therapeutic values and medicinal importance. Bitter gourd is one such vegetable containing many health benefits. The present work deals with development of a cold sterilization process for bitter gourd extract using hollow fiber ultrafiltration without any additives, preservatives, and subsequent in-depth storage analysis. Novelty of the process includes identification of suitable membrane for this purpose, detailed flux decline analysis of the selected membrane, effects of operating conditions on the throughput and physicochemical parameters of the processed extract. The storage study indicates that the extract can be preserved for 20 weeks without any external chemicals maintaining the natural flavor, taste, and nutrient profiles of the original extract. Filtration experiments were conducted in scalable hollow fiber units. Therefore, this study is of paramount significance in scaling up of processing of bitter gourd extract having long shelf life.