Basella rubra fruit juice betalains as a colorant in food model systems and shelf‐life studies to determine their realistic usability
2020
Kumar, Sandopu Sravan | Arya, Monisha | Chauhan, Attar Singh | Giridhar, Parvatam
Basella rubra is a popular green leafy vegetable in South India bearing red‐violet fruits that accumulate betalains. In the present report, B. rubra fruit juice betalains were explored in novel food model systems as a natural colorant in banana spread (BS), intermediate moisture foods (IMF), banana and lemon juice ready‐to‐serve (RTS) beverage fortification, followed by the quality evaluation during storage (BS for 1 year, IMF for 2 months, banana and lemon juice RTS beverage for 3 months), along with sensory acceptability. The retention of betalain was good after storage in BS (95.8%), IMF (60%), banana RTS beverage (58%), and lemon juice RTS beverage (76%), with no microbial growth observed after storage at 5°C. The BS and banana RTS beverage showed good sensory quality with scores greater than 8 on a 15‐point scale, with no alteration in product quality. Moreover, it provides a natural source of healthy ingredients. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Betalains from plant sources are used for various applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries as a functional ingredient. They are water‐soluble pigments exhibiting three times higher tinctorial strength and stability at lower pH than anthocyanins. B. rubra betalains could compete with commercial beetroot, which has an unpleasant geosmin flavor and a lower quantity available for sustainable use in large industrial applications as a natural colorant. The present study explores B. rubra fruits as a rich source of betalains for the development of food model systems and conducts shelf‐life studies to determine its practical ease of use with maximum retention in foods. The information this study provides will encourage scientists to investigate common natural sources in everyday industrial‐scale food products for their ability to confer health benefits.
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