Application of Bioactive Compounds from Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) Petals in Gummy Jelly Products

Abstract

This research aimed to study effect of solvent used for extraction on anti α-glucosidase activities and the effect of lotus petal extract on physical characteristics and consumer acceptance of sugar-free gummy jelly. It was found that lotus petal extract collected by 60% ethanol provided the highest anti α-glucosidase activities, which was 94.32%. With the addition of petal extracts into the gummy jelly, it was possible to increase the anti α-glucosidase activities. An increase in hardness and chewiness and decrease in the elasticity and gumminess of the gummy jelly were seen when increasing the percentage of petal extracts. A significant decrease was observed in the lightness, redness, and yellowness in the gummy jelly containing petal extracts. No differences were found in the overall acceptability between the control and the gummy jelly containing 10% petal extracts. The findings suggest that lotus petal extract could be a potential source for the development of gummy jelly with more effective reduction the sugar levels in blood.