Deepa K Dr. K. M. KarethaDEEPA K20206200022023-12-022023-12-022022-08https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810202066The present investigation entitled “Studies on blending of dragon fruit and lime juice for RTS beverage” was undertaken at PHT Laboratory, Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh during the year 2021-22. The experiment comprised of twenty-two treatment combinations in Completely Randomized Design with factorial concept including three replications. The experiment entailed two factors viz. blending proportions and storage conditions, where blending proportions of dragon fruit juice and lime fruit juice were 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, 10:90 and 0:100 and stored at ambient and refrigerated (4 oC) conditions. The stored RTS was evaluated for bio-chemical and organoleptic qualities at an interval of 15 days. It was observed that, there was a gradual increase in TSS, total sugars, reducing sugars and acidity while, contradictory decrease in non-reducing sugars, ascorbic acid and pH. The score for color, aroma, taste and overall acceptability of blended RTS also decreased during storage. The result indicated that blending ratio of 70:30 (Dragon fruit juice: lime juice) showed noticeably higher values in bio-chemical parameters namely total soluble solids, total sugars, reducing and non-reducing sugars along with organoleptic test which includes aroma, taste and overall acceptability. Treatment with blending proportion of 100:0 of dragon fruit juice and lime juice exhibited better results in case of pH, acidity, 0:100 of dragon fruit juice and lime juice for ascorbic acid whereas, 10:90 blending ratio for color in RTS beverage. In organoleptic testing and ascorbic acid, refrigerated conditions (4 oC) outperformed ambient conditions in storage circumstances. Ambient conditions showed higher values for TSS, pH, acidity, reducing, non-reducing and total sugars. Interaction effect between blending proportions and storage conditions was observed significant for microbial population. Lowest fungal growth of 0.01 Cfu ml-1 and lowest bacterial growth of 0.53 × 108 Cfu ml-1 was seen in 70:30 blending of dragon fruit juice and lime juice stored at Refrigerated condition (4 oC). From this present study, it could be concluded that dragon fruit and lime juice blended at 70:30 ratio and stored at Refrigerated condition (4 oC) for 60 days period was found more acceptable in case of aroma, taste, overall acceptability with lower attack of micro-organisms. There was lesser microbial growth in RTS blended at 70:30 of Dragon fruit juice and lime juice at Refrigerated condition (4 oC) by the end of storage period.EnglishThesis