Studies on physio chemical properties and storage life of mulberry - aloe-vera blended squash

Introduction

Food processing has historically played a vital role in enhancing preservation, minimizing post-harvest losses, and ensuring food security by making nutritious and safe food available to consumers (Floros et al., 2010;Weaver et al., 2014). Despite India's significant fruit production, less than 2% is processed, compared to over 60% in developed nations, which highlights the need for value-added products (Thallapally, 2011). Mulberry (Morus spp.) is a nutrient-rich fruit valued for its high anthocyanin, phenolic, and flavonoid content, contributing to strong antioxidant properties. It can be processed into various products such as jams, juices, wines, and food colorants (Özgen et al., 2009;Jan et al., 2021). Nutritionally, mulberries are rich in ascorbic acid, minerals, proteins, and bioactive compounds like quercetin and rutin, making them a promising functional food (Zou et al., 2014;Stintzing et al., 2002). Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is another important crop with a long history of medicinal and nutritional use. Its gel contains bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, flavonoids, vitamins, and phenolics, which provide antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory benefits (Rodriguez et al., 2010; Usman & Alam, 2024). Due to these properties, aloe vera has wide applications in food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries (Boghani et al., 2012) [7] . Blending fruit juices is an effective strategy to enhance flavor, nutritional value, and consumer acceptability. Combining mulberry with aloe vera may yield a novel functional beverage with improved health-promoting attributes (Bhardwaj & Mukherjee, 2011; De International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research 2025; SP-9 (9): 1338-1342 Carvalho et al., 2007). However, little research has been conducted on the preparation and storage stability of such blended squashes. In this context, the present study was undertaken with the objectives: To standardize the recipe for mulberry-aloe vera blended squash.

To conduct sensory evaluation of the product. To assess its physicochemical properties, storage stability, and microbial quality.

Materials and Methods

The current research titled "Preparation of Mulberry -Aloevera Blended Squash" was carried out in the Post graduate laboratory, department of horticulture, VNMKV Parbhani during the 2024-25 period. The fully matured and healthy mulberry specimens were obtained from the Sericulture Research Unit at VNMKV, Parbhani, Maharashtra. The selected mulberry fruits were fully ripe, exhibiting a color range from purple to black. The unripe, distorted, diseased, damaged, and off-type specimens were discarded. The matured, healthy aloe vera leaves were procured from Department of Horticulture, VNMKV, Parbhani. Different spices like cardamom, black pepper, cumin, common salt, ginger and sugar were acquired from local market of Parbhani.

Extraction of mulberry juice

The ripe mulberry fruits, devoid of dirt, dust, and other foreign materials, were subjected to washing with tap water in the laboratory. Subsequently, juice extraction was performed manually, utilizing 1 kg of fruits, which were pressed to obtain the juice. The extracted juice was stored in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) jars and maintained at a temperature of -18 °C in deep freezers.

Processing of Aloe vera juice

The aloe vera leaves underwent a washing process under running water, followed by trimming at the tip, lower portion, and sides to eliminate thorns. The leaves were then set aside for a duration of 2-3 hours to facilitate the removal of toxic materials. The leaves were subsequently severed using a stainless-steel knife, followed by the extraction of the pulp. The pulp was subsequently processed in the mixer and filtered. The extracted juice was stored in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) jars at a temperature of -18°C in deep freezers.

Preparation of mulberry aloe vera blended squash

The mulberry and aloe vera juices were combined in various ratios according to the treatment specifications. The blended juices were subsequently combined with the sugar syrup, along with the spice extract and ginger juice. The spice extract was prepared by boiling a ground mixture of various quantities of spices, specifically cumin (2.5 g), cardamom (1 g), black pepper (2.5 g), and common salt (5 g), in 200 ml of water. Subsequently, the mixture was strained and combined with 20 ml of ginger juice following the established procedure (Thakur et al., 2016). Sodium benzoate was subsequently added as a preservative at a concentration of 600 ppm for each treatment. The appetizer was contained in sterilized glass bottles.

Experimental Design

The study on mulberry-aloe vera blended squash was conducted using a Factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with six treatments and three replications. The experiment was designed to assess the effect of different blending ratios of mulberry and aloe vera juices on the physicochemical, microbial, and sensory quality of squash during storage. The squash samples were stored in sterilized glass bottles at room temperature, and observations were recorded at 0, 30, 60, and 90 days of storage.

Results and Discussion

Physico-chemical characteristics of mulberry and aloe vera

The physico-chemical properties of mulberry and aloe vera juices, as presented in [20-21] .

Total sugar content also declined with greater aloe vera incorporation, ranging from 15.57% in T1 (90:0) to 10.53% in T6 (40:50). However, storage showed a significant upward trend, with values increasing from 12.38% at day 0 to 14.28% at 90 days. The increase may be due to inversion of non-reducing sugars into reducing sugars during storage. [9] .

Effect of blending and storage on physico-chemical attributes of squash

The total phenolic content of mulberry-aloe vera blended squash declined significantly with increasing aloe vera proportion, ranging from 171.62 mg GAE/100 g in T1 (90:0) to 86.81 mg GAE/100 g in T6 (40:50) which is presented in [9] , and jamun appetizer (Bhatt, 2019) [6] . Anthocyanin levels were significantly higher in mulberry-dominant blends as presented in Table 6, with T1 (90:0) showing 91.43 mg/100 g compared to 50.53 mg/100 g in T6 (40:50). Storage led to a progressive decline, from 74.14 mg/100 g initially to 66.18 mg/100 g at 90 days, mainly due to the high susceptibility of anthocyanins to oxidative degradation. These findings are in line with previous studies on mulberry appetizer (Hamid & Thakur, 2017) [20-21] , wild pomegranate appetizer (Thakur et al., 2017), and mulberry-aloe vera nectar (Rahman, 2021).

Conclusion

The present investigation demonstrated that blending mulberry and aloe vera juices significantly influenced the physicochemical and nutritional attributes of squash during storage. Mulberry juice, being rich in sugars, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acid, contributed to higher antioxidant potential, while aloe vera imparted functional properties and balanced acidity. Increasing aloe vera proportion resulted in lower TSS, sugars, ascorbic acid, phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, whereas mulberry-dominant blends maintained superior nutritional and sensory quality. Storage studies revealed a gradual decline in ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, and anthocyanins, while reducing and total sugars increased due to inversion of non-reducing sugars. Titratable acidity also declined with storage, likely due to utilization of organic acids in biochemical reactions. Among treatments, T1 (90% mulberry: 10% aloe vera) consistently exhibited the best retention of quality attributes and overall acceptability up to 90 days of storage, suggesting that mulberry-rich formulations are more stable and consumer-preferred.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementAuthors are thankful to Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, VNMKV, Parbhani for providing all the necessary facilities for successful conduct of the experiment.

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