ISHS Acta Horticulturae 1088: II Southeast Asia Symposium on Quality Management in Postharvest Systems
SHELF-LIFE AND FREE RADICAL SCAVENGING ACTIVITY OF BITTERGOURD (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA L.) COATED WITH PHYTOCHEMICAL EXTRACTS |
| Authors: | R.A. Salas, V.N. Pole, F.M. Salas, M.A. Quevedo |
| Keywords: | ambient condition, cat¿s whisker extract, DPPH assay, hagimit extract, phytochemical coatings, trolox, vegetable |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1088.39 |
| Abstract:
This study was conducted to determine the shelf-life of bittergourd coated with phytochemical extracts and analyze the free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of the coated fruits upon storage at ambient. Galaxy hybrid bittergourd fruits were coated with phytochemical extracts derived from cat’s whisker (Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) L), hagimit (Ficus minahasse Miq.), and turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Extraction of phytochemicals was accomplished using distilled water, ethanol, and acetic acid solvents through a percolation method. A 1% solution was used and applied by dipping fruit for 1 min. FRSA was determined using the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay with Trolox as standard. The results showed that the shelf-life of bittergourd was significantly enhanced by the phytochemical coatings. The ethanolic cat’s whisker and the ethanolic hagimit extracts best enhanced the shelf-life of bittergourd fruits for 7.5 days and 7 days, respectively. The untreated bittergourd and those treated by the extracting solvents showed a shelf-life of about four to five days. This significant difference in the shelf-life of coated fruits can spell a big leap on the profitability of the bittergourd. The freshly harvested mature fruit of bitter gourd has an average free radical scavenging activity of 337.8 µmol TE/100 gram sample. The result also showed that the free radical scavenging activity of the vegetable fruit diminished upon storage under ambient condition. However, it is clear that the shelf-life of bittergourd was enhanced and the drastic decline of its free radical scavenging activity was incrementally reduced by phytochemical coatings. | |
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