Determination of Functional Properties of Sri Lankan Ambarella (Spondias dulcis Forst. syn. Spondias cytherea Sonn.) Fruit and Development of Vacuum Dried Ambarella Fruit Powder and Incorporated Soup Mix

Objective: To develop vacuum dried (VD) Ambarella fruit powder and Ambarella fruit incorporated soup mix from large and miniature Ambarella and investigation of antioxidants and anti-diabetic properties.

Methods: Ethanolic extracts of two Ambarella varieties were analyzed for antioxidant potential in terms of total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ferrous reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), radical scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS and α-amylase inhibitory activity.

Results: Fresh dwarf Ambarella showed a significantly (p<0.05) high TPC (3.35±0.10 mgGAE/g) while fresh large Ambarella showed a significantly (p<0.05) high FRAP (0.71±0.13 mgTE/g) and DPPH (3.57±0.31 mg TE/g). In comparison of ethanolic extracts of VD Ambarella powders, a significantly (p<0.05) higher antioxidant potential in terms of FRAP (4.19±0.06 mgTE/g) exhibited in dwarf variety while significantly (p<0.05) higher ABTS (4.03±0.27 mgTE/g) and DPPH (3.00±0.49mgTE/g) exhibited in large Ambarella. Alpha amylase inhibition activities of fresh fruits of large and dwarf were 46.30±4.07% and 49.55±3.18% where as in VD powders were 27.59±5.03% and 15.58±5.86% respectively. An instant soup mixture was developed incorporating 20% of VD powder from large variety due its abundance. The antioxidant potential of ethanolic extract of the soup mixture in terms of TPC, TFC, ABTS, and FRAP were 0.55±0.00 mgGAE/g, 0.04±0.00 mgQE/g, 1.65±0.06 mgTE/g, and 0.04±0.15 mgTE/g. Alpha amylase inhibition activity of soup mixture was 39.49±0.29%.

Conclusion: The both types of fresh fruits exhibited higher antioxidant potential except FRAP and higher anti-amylase inhibition than VD Ambarella powder.