Antioxidant Potentials and Quality of Blended Pear-Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.) Juice

Enriched beverage prepared by supplementing pear juice with jamun pulp was assessed for antioxidant activity and quality. Jamun pulp was supplemented at the levels of 5,10,15,20 and 25 per cent and optimized on the basis of sensory evaluation and color characteristics. Sensory scores were highest for pear juice supplemented with 20 per cent jamun pulp and was further chosen for storage studies. Color values (L*, a*, b* and hue angle) were significantly (p<0.05) affected by increasing supplementation level, resulting in darker product. Jamun pulp supplementation enhanced the bioactive composition of pear juice in terms of increased ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, total phenols and antioxidant activity. Total phenols and antioxidant activity increased by 15.31 and 20.52 percent, respectively after incorporation of jamun pulp at 20 per cent. Physico-chemical characteristics of pear juice were not affected much by incorporation of jamun pulp. Storage period of six months resulted in reduction of bioactive components and had a variable effect on physico-chemical characteristics of the blended pear-jamun juice. Overall, it can be concluded that jamun pulp can be used as a potential source to boost nutritional significance of the resultant beverage.