Physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of ciku fruit (Manilkara zapota) pastilles

Ciku fruit (Manilkara zapota), also known as sapodilla is an exotic tropical fruit commonly eaten by Malaysians but not as popular as durians, rambutans, and bananas. Due to the short period of storage of ripened ciku fruits, making or converting it to a new end product such as pastille may promote the utilization and promote this tropical climate fruit and provide a wide range of products. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop ciku pastille and determine the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of ciku pastilles. A total of six formulations of ciku pastille were developed based on the different amounts of ciku purée (10%, 12%, 14%, 16%, 18% and 20% of ciku purée) added. The pastilles were analysed for their texture profile analysis (TPA), water activity (Aw), total soluble solids (TSS), colour analysis, pH, moisture content, ash, fibre and antioxidative activity. Results showed that formulation F (20% ciku purée) illustrated the highest value for moisture (18.59%), ash (2.43%), fibre (2.65%) and scavenging activity (36.58%). The production of this product is highly likely to be commercialised as no synthetic preservatives and artificial colouring were used. The ciku pastille was successfully developed with brownish orange colour, round-shaped with a diameter of 1.0-1.2 cm, weighing approximately 1.2-1.5 g. Formulation B (12% ciku purée) has 62.7⁰ Brix with pH 4.3, which had an acidic aftertaste and a water activity of 0.54. For colour analysis, L* value (59.76), a* value (23.71) and b* value (34.33) brought the brownish orange colour for ciku pastille. Formulation B (12% ciku purée) was highly accepted by the panellists and retained its good texture and colour after being kept in the chiller for 2 months at below 18°C. The analysis, therefore, revealed that the physicochemical properties of the ciku pastille produced were enhanced and found to be rich in antioxidants and accepted by the panellists. Ciku fruit may consequently be a possible natural ingredient for pastille production, thus promoting its use in the food sector.