Evaluation of Physiochemical, Nutritional, Sensorial, and Microbiological Properties of Juice Blends Produced from Parkia biglobosa Pulp and Ixora coccinea Fruits

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the physicochemical, proximate, microbial, and sensory properties of juice blends made from Parkia biglobosa pulp and Ixora coccinea fruit. The P. biglobosa pulps and I. coccinea fruits were blended in different ratios of sample A (100% P. bigblosa pulp), sample B (100% I. coccinea fruit), sample C (50% P. bigblosa pulp; 50% I. coccinea fruit), sample D (30% P. bigblosa pulp; 70% I. coccinea fruit), E (70% P. bigblosa pulp; 30% I. coccinea fruit). The physicochemical parameters assessed include pH, titratable acidity, and vitamin C content. The proximate, sensory, and microbiological properties of the juice blends were also evaluated. The proximate analysis of the juice blend samples revealed that samples C, D, and E had higher moisture, carbohydrate, protein, and fat content compared to samples A and B. The phytochemical analysis showed the presence of saponins, tannins, phenols, flavonoids, coumarins, steroids, glycosides, terpenoids, and alkaloids in the juice blends. The flavonoid and phenol content was found to be highest in sample E. The samples containing mixed juice blends (C, D, and E) had the highest vitamin C content. The microbial analysis of the juice blends showed no viable microbial counts in the samples. The sensory evaluation of the juice blends revealed that sample E, which contains the mixed blends, had the highest acceptability in terms of color, taste, texture, and aroma. This study revealed that the mixed blends of P. biglobosa pulp and I. coccinea fruit have improved nutritional and sensory acceptability, which could serve as potentially useful materials in the production of beverages.