Phytochemical improvement of sand pear cubes through impregnation of spices and tea extract: characterization using in vitro bioactivity, FTIR, ICP-AES, and SEM

Abstract

The demand for phytochemical-enriched foods has increased in recent years; therefore, an attempt was made in the present study to improve the phytochemical properties of sand pear cubes. The effect of different variables, i.e. blanching time (0–5 min), spice extract (0–5%), and tea extract (0–5%), on the physicochemical, phytochemical, mineral and microstructural characteristics of sand pear cubes was evaluated. Compared with the unblanched sample, blanching led to a significant increase in the water activity and total soluble solids (TSS) of the sand pear cubes. The spice and tea extracts significantly enhanced the phytochemical potential of the sand pear cubes. The optimum quality attributes of the phytochemical-enriched sand pear cubes were obtained at a blanching time of 3.53 min, 2.74% spice extract concentration, and 2.44% tea extract concentration. The results for minerals and bioactive compounds indicated that the optimized samples had higher retention compared to the control. Structural characterization revealed that the optimized sample had a more porous and less crystalline surface, contributing to the soft texture of the sand pear cubes. Hence, the developed processing conditions may be useful for the confectionery industry and could serve as a promising alternative product for children.