Optimization of level of guava (Psidium guajava) leaves extracts in chicken nuggets

Introduction

Poultry production and consumption have increased significantly over the last 40-50 years and are expected to continue growing, especially in developing countries, potentially making chicken meat one of the most important protein sources for the rapidly increasing global population (Petracci et al., 2019) [10] . This expansion is largely due to the absence of major cultural or religious restrictions associated with the consumption of chicken meat (Ghonaim et al., 2020) [4] . In countries like India, factors such as industrialization, rapid urbanization, globalization, and the increasing involvement of women in the workforce have led to a growing demand for convenient and quick-to-prepare meat products because they are easy to prepare, save time, and possess desirable sensory qualities (Verma et al., 2016; Nikmaram et al., 2018) [15,9] . Guava (Psidium guajava) leaves are known to be rich in nutrients and various bioactive compounds. They contain approximately 82.47% moisture, 3.64% ash, 0.62% fat, 18.53% protein, and 12.74% carbohydrates, along with 103 mg of ascorbic acid and 1717 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per gram of total phenolics, carotenoids, flavonoids (Shabbir et al., 2020) [12] . However, synthetic additives are often considered potential carcinogenic or neurotoxic agents, which has led to restrictions on their use. Therefore, considering the need of food producers, the present study was undertaken to optimize the incorporation of guava (Psidium guajava) leaves extract in chicken nuggets.

The dried leaves were ground into a fine powder, sieved, and stored in LDPE pouches under refrigeration. The dried powder was used to prepare aqueous and hydroethanolic (50% ethanol) extracts according to method described by Chauhan et al. (2021) [3] , with slight modifications. The d resulting dried aqueous and hydroethanolic guava leaves extracts (GLE) were subsequently used for further analysis.

Preparation of chicken nuggets

Chicken nuggets were prepared following the method described by Gomkale et al. (2023) [5] , with slight modifications. Deboned chicken meat and chicken skin were procured from a local meat market in Shirwal. Spice powder was prepared by first removing extraneous materials from the ingredients. The cleaned ingredients were dried in a hotair oven at 50 °C for 3 hours, ground, and then sieved through a fine mesh. The spice mix was formulated by combining the ingredients in suitable proportions according to Sakunde (2004) [4] , with minor modifications. Chilled deboned meat and chicken skin were cut into small pieces and minced using a meat mincer. The minced meat and skin were transferred to a heavy-duty mixer (BAJAJ FX 1000) and blended with salt, sodium nitrite, and sodium tripolyphosphate for 1-2 minutes. Ice water and vegetable oil were then added, and mixing was continued for another 1-2 minutes. Subsequently, the remaining ingredients listed in Table 1 were incorporated, and the mixture was blended for an additional 2-3 minutes to obtain a uniform and homogeneous batter. The prepared emulsion was filled into a mould measuring 17 × 10 × 4 cm to obtain the desired shape, and the lid was tightly secured to ensure an airtight seal. The moulds containing the emulsion were placed in a steam cooker and cooked for 20 minutes. After cooking, the product was removed, allowed to cool, and then packaged in LDPE pouches.

Optimization of the level of incorporation of GLE in the chicken nuggets:

Chicken nuggets were prepared by incorporating varying levels of GLE into the standardized nugget formulation. The extracts were added to the product by dissolving them in the ice-water, and the resulting products were evaluated based on physicochemical parameters such as pH, cooking yield and sensory attributes.

Aqueous GLE was incorporated at 0%, 0.08%, 0.1%, and 0.12%, whereas hydroethanolic GLE was incorporated at 0%, 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.05%. All treatments were replicated three times.

Physiochemical analysis:

The following physiochemical parameters of the samples were analyzed.

pH:

The pH of the cooked chicken nuggets was determined following the AOAC (2012) [1] method.

Cooking yield: The weight of the chicken nugget was taken before and after cooking and expressed in percentage.

Weight of cooked nugget Cooking yield = X 100 Weight of uncooked nugget Sensory Analysis: Sensory evaluation of the meat samples was conducted by a semi-trained panel. The samples were presented to the panelists for the assessment of sensory attributes, including appearance, flavour, juiciness, texture and overall acceptability, using an 8-point hedonic scale as described by Keeton et al. (1983) [7] .

Statistical analysis:

The experiment was conducted in triplicate, and the data obtained were analyzed using oneway ANOVA to evaluate day-wise and treatment-wise variations. Duncan's Multiple Range Test was applied for mean comparison using the SPSS software package (version 20.0), following the standard procedures described by Snedecor and Cochran (1994) [13] .

Results and Discussion

The pH of chicken nuggets decreased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing levels of aqueous and hydroethanolic GLE (Table 2 and3). The observed reduction in pH may be attributed to the acidic nature of Psidium guajava leaves extract, with 5.82 pH in hydroethanolic extract and pH 6 in aqueous extract. A significant (p<0.05) effect on cooking yield was observed with increasing levels of GLE. These findings correlated with Nascimento et al., (2024) [8] in beef steak with pectin incorporated with guava leaf extract and Kabir et al., (2025) [6] in chicken sausage batter incorporated with moringa leaf extract. Likewise, Biswas et al., (2023) [2] in fish nuggets incorporated with guava peel powder. a,b,c,d) differ significantly (p<0.05), T0: control, T1: 0.08% aqueous GLE, T2: 0.1% aqueous GLE, T3: 0.12% aqueous GLE

Sensory attributes

With increasing levels of aqueous GLE, the sensory scores for flavour and overall acceptability of chicken nuggets decreased significantly, except in T 1 where the change was non-significant. Whereas, texture improves and juiciness, appearance reduced non significantly in all treatment to that of control. Notably, nuggets containing 0.08% aqueous GLE were nearly comparable to the control. As the amount of extract was increased, the flavour of lean meat was masked and in hydroethanolic GLE, the sensory scores of treated chicken nuggets for parameters such as appearance and texture improved while juiciness reduced non significantly than control, whereas flavour and overall acceptability reduced significantly with increased hydroethanolic GLE. Notably, chicken nuggets containing 0.03% levels of hydroethanolic GLE were almost comparable and improved in overall sensory attributes compared to the control. Similar observations were reported by Velasco-Arango et al., (2021) [14] in frankfurters incorporated with guava epicarp extract and Verma et al., (2013) [16] found in meat nuggets incorporated with guava powder. Based on the experimental results, it was concluded that the incorporation of aqueous GLE at 0.08% and hydroethanolic GLE at 0.03% in chicken nuggets resulted increased cooking yield and comparable to improved sensory attributes than the control. Hence, the levels of 0.08% aqueous GLE and 0.03% hydroethanolic GLE were selected for further evaluation.

Conclusion

Chicken nuggets incorporated with 0.08% aqueous GLE and 0.03% hydroethanolic GLE showed optimum cooking yield and quality attributes comparable to the control.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors acknowledge the Associate Dean, KNP College of Veterinary Science, Shirwal by providing facilities for conducting the research work.

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