Vol. 10, Issue 11 (2021)

Author(s):
Md. Shamsher Ahmad, Mutum Preema Devi, Prodyut Kumar Paul and Nilesh Bhowmick

Abstract:
Pummelo (Citrus grandis (L.) Osbeck, is the largest fruits among fruits of citrus family and mainly grown in home gardens of many Indian states. Fresh pummelo juice is an excellent source of antioxidant, nutrition and Posses medicinal values but people don’t like to consume it either as fresh or processed. This is because the taste of pummelo juice turns highly bitter within few hours of extraction. This bitterness is mainly due to flavonoids and limonoids found in the fruit itself and get mixed during extraction process. This is a major problem and limiting factor of popularization and commercialization of pummelo fruit juice. The juices of other citrus fruits are also bitter but acceptable due to less quantity of bittering compounds. The present investigation was therefore, aimed at reducing bitterness of juice by different methods of juice extraction as well as enhances the yield. Two methods were applied for extraction of juice. In the first method of juice extraction, fruits were halved with stainless steel knife and pressed using a hand press citrus Juicer. In the second method, Screw type juice extractor was used for juice extraction with and without pre-treatment. Out of different methods tried, dipping of fruit in hot water at 80⁰C for 5 and 10 minutes, peeling and juice extraction by Screw type juice extractor was found most effective and economical with respect to low bitter compounds (limonin @ 86.62 ± 79.81 and 34.15 ± 11.58 ppm and naringin @ 961.89 ± 299.41and 132.84 ± 97.87 ppm respectively). High Percentage of juice yield (42.44±3.27 and 44.10 ± 1.76%) and low percent of wastage (49.49 ± 2.37 and 44.73 ± 1.30%) also recorded in the same treatments.