Impact of Tray and Freeze Drying on Physico-Chemical and Functional Properties of Underutilized Garcinia lanceifolia (Rupohi thekera)

Aradhana Boruah ¹

Pinku Chandra Nath ²

Prakash Kumar Nayak ³

Maharshi Bhaswant ^{4, 5}

Sangeeta Saikia ⁶

Jatin Kalita ⁷

Sarvesh Rustagi ⁸

Ajita Tiwari ¹

Kandi Sridhar ⁹

Show full list: 9 authors

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Department of Agricultural Engineering, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India |

Research & Development Cell, Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies, Faridabad 121004, India

Department of Food Engineering and Technology, Central Institute of Technology Kokrajhar, Kokrajhar 783370, India |

⁴

New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Sendai 9808579, Japan |

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Center for Molecular and Nanomedical Sciences, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, India |

⁶

BioNEST, CSIR–North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785006, India

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Center for Infectious Diseases, CSIR–North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat 785006, India

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Department of Food Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India |

⁹

Department of Food Technology, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education (Deemed to be University), Coimbatore 641021, India |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2025-02-19

MDPI

Journal: Foods

scimago Q1

SJR: 0.870

CiteScore: 7.4

Impact factor: 4.7

ISSN: 23048158

DOI: 10.3390/foods14040705

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Abstract

Garcinia lanceifolia Roxb. (Rupohi thekera), an underutilized minor fruit from Assam, holds significant potential as it exhibits substantial traditional medicinal properties. However, its preservation and utilization remain limited, necessitating effective processing techniques. This study aimed to compare the impact of tray drying and freeze drying on the physico-chemical, antioxidant, and functional properties of G. lanceifolia. Fresh fruits were processed using both methods, followed by detailed analyses of nutritional composition, phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and functional properties. Freeze drying resulted in greater retention of moisture (12.42 ± 0.81%), protein (4.44 ± 0.19%), carbohydrate content (8.29 ± 0.31 g/100 g), and reducing sugar (1.95 ± 0.12%), along with prominent color quality, while no significant difference in ash content was found for either drying method employed. Phytochemical extraction using different solvents (water, n-hexane, 80% methanol, 80% ethanol, and 80% acetone) revealed that freeze-dried samples extracted with acetone had the highest total phenolic content (634.00 ± 1.73 mg GAE/100 g), while methanol extraction yielded the highest total flavonoid content (382.33 ± 1.52 mg QE/100 g). Tray drying, on the other hand, exhibited superior DPPH and FRAP when subjected to ethanol extract (80.24 ± 0.42% and 83.83 ± 0.46 mg/100 g, respectively) and metal chelation capacity (23.69 ± 2.09%). Additionally, functional properties, such as glucose adsorption capacity and α-amylase inhibition, were found to vary between drying techniques, with freeze-dried samples showing better glucose adsorption and tray-dried samples demonstrating greater α-amylase inhibition. FTIR analysis highlighted distinct structural attributes of bioactive compounds retained through both methods. The findings underscore the potential of freeze drying for nutrient preservation and tray drying for cost-effective applications, paving the way for the industrial valorization of G. lanceifolia as a functional food ingredient.