Physical and biochemical properties of averrhoa Bilimbi (bilimbi).

Abstract

The project is aimed at analyzing the physicochemical and biological properties of Averrhoa Bilimbi powder with an ideal approach to exploit the underutilized properties of the fruit and to develop a functional food from it. The fruits were dried at temperatures 50Ëš, 60Ëš, and 70ËšC. Efficient drying occurred at 70ËšC with overall time of 240 minutes. An HPLC analysis of the dried powder was also conducted to determine the presence of any bioactive compounds, the properties of dried powder like pH, water activity, ash content, moisture content, carbohydrate content, protein content, ascorbic acid content, phenol content were analysed by AOAC methods. The fruits that were dried at 50ËšC showed effective drying and good quercetin content. The pH value confirmed that nearly all the fruits were acidic. The ash content indicated that bilimbi fruits may be a potential source of many different bioactive compounds and organic acids. The fruits also were found to be a good source of carbohydrates, proteins etc. The amount of ascorbic acid, present in the fruit indicated that the fruits are a rich source of antioxidants. The phenolic content and oxalate content also determined the potential benefits of the fruit.