EVALUATION OF MORINGA SUPER GREENS POWDER AS A FUNCTIONAL FOOD FORTIFICANT
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Date
2021
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Abstract
Consumers prefer healthier, more natural products and ingredients that present
unique functional properties. Moringa oleifera also known as “miracle tree” with
enormous minerals and vitamins makes it a healthy superfood and is utilized as an
ingredient in dietary supplements, nutraceuticals and functional foods. It acts as a
potential functional food with nutritional, therapeutic, industrial, agricultural and
socioeconomic value. This increase in demand for M.oleifera could make moringa
cultivation a profitable business for growers. Owing to its enormous potentials, the
use of M.oleifera as a food fortificant is on the rise. Scientific research has proven
that almost all the parts of moringa, viz., leaves, flowers, seeds, pods, gums and
bark afford exemplary nutritive and medicinal properties.
To utilize a natural resource as an alternative to conventional supplements and to
promote the use of the plant that is economical, easily and locally available as well
as a potent nutrient and therapeutic properties native to our country source of food
rather than use of supplements, a formulation containing different parts of
M.oleifera was designed using Linear Programming model. Three different
moringa parts chosen viz., leaves, pods and flowers were thermally processed and
powdered. Moringa oleifera leaves and flowers were shade dried for 5 and 6 days,
respectively; while Moringa oleifera pods with the pulp was cabinet tray dried at
6O‘’C. Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder (MOLP), Moringa oleifera Pod with pulp
Powder (MOPP) and Moringa oleifera Flowers Powder (MOFP) were analyzed for
its proximate, mineral (calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, zinc and
potassium) and vitamin contents (vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E). The amino
acid and vitamin E contents of MOLP, MOPP and MOFP were collected from
literatures.
Moringa Super Greens Powder (MSGP) formulation using Linear
Programming model was designed for both men and women (moderate activity)
based on the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) values of ICMR - NIN, 2020
guidelines. The objective function of the proposed linear programming model
aimed to design a nutrient rich moringa based formulation satisfying 100%
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of target group with minimized cost. The
model recommended that a combination of 332.11 g of MOLP and 57.39 g of
MOFP could meet the nutritional requirements of both men and women; while the
minimized cost of the formulation for RDA requirements of both men and women
as given by Linear Programming (LP) was Rs 645.54. To examine the strength of
the proposed model after determining the optimum solution, sensitivity analysis
was carried out. The analysis provides the reduced costs, dual price and the
allowable ranges of input cost and Right Hand Side (RHS) of constraints for which
the optimized solution does not change.
Following the design of MSGP. its proximate, minerals and vitamin
contents, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity,
Total Phenolic Content (TPC), Total Flavonoid Content (TFC) and functional
properties were analyzed. The mean values of TPC, TFC and percent inliibition of
MSGP formulation was higher than other part powders considered. The objective
of the sensory analysis was to determine the acceptance level for incorporation of
Moringa Super Greens Powder (MSGP) formulation into selected Ready To Eat
(RTE) foods viz., chutney powder, nuts based ladoo and millets based ladoo. Each
selected RTE foods were subjected to three different treatments (10%, 20% and
30%). The results of organoleptic evaluation of MSGP formulation revealed that
20% MSGP mix was most acceptable in all the three selected RTE food products.
The percent RDA met by 20 g MSGP formulation for calcium, iron, magnesium,
zinc, vitamin C and vitamin E were more than 50% for both men and women. The
percent RDA for iron, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin E were observed to be more
than 100%. The antioxidant activity of MSGP clearly indicates that it can act as a
natural source of antioxidants, thereby lowering the risk of incidence of
degenerative diseases and even in curing these diseases. The cost analysis of
MSGP revealed that the cost of production of 100 g MSGP formulation mix was
Rs 117/- (approx.). At a cost of Rs 23/- for 20 g, more than 50 % daily nutritional
requirement of most of the nutrients considered could be satisfied. The cost of
MSGP formulation mix was also found to be comparatively cheaper than other
health supplements and fortificants targeting micronutrient intake available in
market such as, Oziva Superfoods Greens & Herbs, JustHer Daily Greens and
Superfoods, Kapiva Green Superfoods, Wellversed Superfood Greens & Herbs,
Wholefood Multivitamins, Wellversed Superfood Greens & Herbs, Wholefood
Multivitamins, Your super.com super greens mix etc.
MSGP is a mix of vital nutrients that support strength, immunity and
energy with strengthening nutrients (protein, calcium, phosphorous and
magnesium), immunity nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and iron)
and energy nutrients. The results of the study clearly shows that MSGP
formulation could be utilized as an effective fortificant due to its rich source of
micronutrients and appreciable source of protein and crude fiber contents.