Optimizing conditions for enzymatic clarification of tender palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) endosperm juice

Abstract

Palmyra is seasonal fruit with rich nutritional and medicinal properties. The tender palmyra is seasonal, highly perishable and rich in pectin due to which it is underutilized. Thus, palmyra pulp was clarified to obtain a ready-to-serve palmyra juice. The tender palmyra pulp was treated with pectinase at different substrate concentrations (10-50 %), enzyme concentration (0.1-0.4%), temperature (32-50 ˚C) and time (60-240 min). The effect of this enzyme treatment on pH, TSS, Viscosity and colour of juice was studied using response surface methodology. It was found that the coefficient of determination, R2 was greater than 0.900 for all the dependent variables. Based on the 3D surface graph, the desired combination of juice was obtained at 10.84 % substrate and 0.33 % enzyme concentration treated at 43.84 ˚C for 229.05 min. Thus the current study undoubtfully help in promoting the utilisation of tender palmyra for the production of the ready-to-serve drink.