Investigation Different Pretreatment Methods And Ratio Of Carrier Materials To Maintain Carotenoids In Gac (Momordica Cochinchinensis Spreng) Powder In Drying Process

Abstract: Availability of gac fruit is seasonal, three months out of the year, harvesting start on September and lasts until December. In Vietnam, gac vines are grown mainly in the red river delta areas.. Gac fruits are picked when they are at optimal size, weight, and color. Poor post-harvest handling and transportation reduce the shelf-life of the fruit. After harvesting, without proper storage, fruits perish quickly and lose market ability after one week. In the markets of urban areas. Gac fruit, Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng contains extraordinarily high levels of carotenoids, especially β-carotene and lycopene, and a comparatively high content of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The aim of this study is therefore to develop an understanding of suitable conditions for the processing of Gac fruit, with three pretreatment methods: blanching, blanching in citric acid solution and steaming; as well as to investigate the different ratioes of carrier material to find out which one is the adequate ratio to protect carotene in Gac powder. The result shows that steaming in 6 minutes is the best pretreatment method for the protection and maintenance of total carotenoid content in gac powder; and the most appropriate ratio of carrier: Gac is 1: 1 (dry matter) in which the ratio of maltodextrin: gelatin is 0.5: 0.5 (w/w).