Vol. 12, Issue 8 (2023)

Author(s):
Rajdeep Gandhi, Dr. Navneet Kumar and Abhi Mistry

Abstract:
This study investigated the impact of steam blanching on the physical and chemical parameters of parijat leaves. The mass, length, width, and thickness of the leaves also decreased during the blanching process. Regarding chemical parameters, the ascorbic acid content decreased significantly from 180.31±8.44 mg per 100 grams to 135.09±8.44 mg per 100 grams after steam blanching, indicating a reduction in vitamin C content. Similarly, the total phenolic content decreased from 231.72±1.36 mg GAE/g to 200.88±1.36 mg GAE/g. In contrast, the TSS content increased from 2.06±0.05 °Brix to 2.93±0.05 °Brix, and the pH increased from 5.43±0.04 to 6.87±0.04 with increasing blanching time. Peroxidase activity decreased substantially from 62.77% to 4.87% after 150 seconds of blanching, indicating effective enzyme inactivation. These findings are valuable for understanding the changes occurring in parijat leaves during steam blanching, which could be crucial for optimizing blanching processes in various applications.