Influence of mid-infrared irradiation on Amla’s (Phyllanthus emblica) physicochemical properties and acceptability index

Abstract

Amla (Phyllanthus emblica) is an edible and medicinal plant used in Culinary, Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, and naturopathic medicine. The objective of the present work was to enhance amla’s inherent characteristics by applying the safe 2–6 µm mid-infrared rays. A water-based 2–6µm mid-infrared radiation generating atomizer (MIRGA) was recently invented by us and used in this research. A sensory panel assessed Amla before and after the application of mid-IR. Also, FTIR, PXRD, TEM, and H1NMR were used to further characterize the irradiated amla. Results revealed that the application of mid-IR favorably altered its sensory attributes and increased its palatability. Additionally, results showed various transformations at the atomic, bond, and compound levels. Therefore it is inferred that the application of mid-IR using an economical, easily applicable, and safe technology has the potential to enhance the amla quality.