Research article
Open Access
Valorization of Pepper (Capsicum chinenses Linn)
Through Formulation and Production of Ready to Use
Cubes from Cameroonian Local Spices
Kensah Marianne Mugob Bonyesih1, Mezajoug Kenfack Laurette Blandine2*,
Ngangoum Eric Serge3, DjiazetStève4, Tchiégang Clergé5
1,2,3,4,5 Bioprocess Laboratory, Unit of Food Sciences and nutrition, University Institute of Technology, University of
Ngaoundere, Cameroon P.O. Box 455, Ngaoundere - Cameroon
*Corresponding author: Mezajoug Kenfack Laurette Blandine, Bioprocess Laboratory, Unit of Food Sciences and nutrition, University Institute
of Technology, University of Ngaoundere, Cameroon P.O. Box 455, Ngaoundere – Cameroon, Tel: +237 697 920 434/ +237 677 920 403, E-mail:
@
Received: April 12, 2018; Accepted: November 9, 2018; Published: November 15, 2018
Citation: Mezajoug Kenfack LB, Mugob Bonyesih KM Eric Serge N, et al. (2018) Valorization of Pepper (
Capsicum chinenses Linn) Through Formulation and Production of Ready to Use Cubes from Cameroonian Local Spices J Nutrition Health Food Sci 6(6):1-14.DOI:
10.15226/jnhfs.2018.001147
Abstract
In Cameroon, pepper is consumed either fresh, in powder form,
as pepper oil or as pepper sauce. The aim of this work was to propose
added value of spices by formulated ready to use cubes facilitating the
consumption of pepper and reducing its post-harvest losses. A survey
was carried out in Ngaoundere-Cameroon to know the level of pepper
consumption, and the ingredients commonly added in pepper sauces.
A simplex lattrice mixture design was carried out to optimise the
pepper cube formulation, which was further characterized. The sensory
evaluation was done to select the best sample among those produced.
From the survey, 76.92% of the population consume pepper. Onion,
garlic, white pepper, and pebe were found to be the spices commonly
used along with pepper sauces preparation. The pepper cubes were
obtained by incorporating onion and pebe as additives into the pepper
enrichment at different proportions. The pepper enrichment was
formulated at the optimal condition of the basic ingredients which
were 0.817, 0.133 and 0.05% respectively for pepper, white pepper and
garlic. Sample 107 with the colours ranging between orange yellow and
yellow, made up of 50 % pepper enrichment, 32.5% onion and 17.5%
pebe was selected through sensorial analysis by the panellist as the
best specimen. This retained product exhibited about 50% of DPPH
scavenging activity compare to ascorbic acid taken as control.
Key words: Cameroon; Pepper; spices; formulation; cube;
antioxidant;
Introduction
The increase in the size and proportion of urban population
raises the demand for food and hence the need for urban
agriculture [1]. In view of contributing to the nation’s industrial
and economic growth through innovation while maintaining
quality and satisfying consumer needs, pepper (Capsicum
chinenses) was the local product of interest since consumers
nowadays demand high quality foods having ‘fresh’ or ‘natural’
characteristics but requiring a minimum amount of preparation
[2]. Pepper is a perishable fruit which starts life green but turns
red, orange, yellow or purple as they ripen upon maturation and
it was ranked the second valuable fruit after tomatoes with an
estimated total production of 88,000 metric tons in 2011 [3, 4].
Capsicums are important food additives in many parts of the
world, valued for their sensory attributes of colour, pungency
and aroma [5]. Consumers with their many choices regarding
food supply tend to be very selective about the products they
purchase and hence demand a wide variety of products that
are of high quality and offer nutritious and good value [6]. As a
result, they tend to get interest in the relationship between diet
and health which causes them to utilize nutrient content and
health claim information from food labels to make their purchase
choices. As a consequence, industries have now been involved
in the production of formulated products that are obtained by
associating and mixing diverse raw materials from either natural
or synthetic origin in order to produce foods that meet the
demands of these consumers and as well remain in the market
[6, 7]. But formulation in food industries as reported by Jean-
Marie and Gilbert makes use of mostly ingredients from natural
origin in order to increase the performance of a product while
enhancing conservation and utilization [7]. In the same line, it is
necessary to give an added value to some local ingredients (garlic,
onion, pebe and white pepper) through the formulation of pepper
(Capsicum chinenses) cubes in order to improve its performance
and flavouring attributes.
Due to carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and other
phytochemical contents pepper consumption can reduce the risk
of diseases, such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and
also delaying the aging process [8-10]. The major preservation
forms of this fruit are pepper powder, pepper oleoresin (pepper
oil) and preservation in acid brine [11-13]. To our best knowledge
pepper preservation in the cube form have not yet be done,
hence C. chinenses cultivar was chosen with the aim of giving
it an added value through the diversification of the product’s
availability and the enhancement of its preservation techniques
since it is perishable; lasting only for a few days after harvest and
still decaying upon refrigeration [11, 14]. Therefore the main
objective of this work was to diversify the preservation technique
and valorise pepper by adding value to white pepper, garlic,
onion and pebe. Firstly, formulated fresh pepper cube with white
pepper, garlic, onion and pebe was done, followed by evaluation
of the nutritional and sensory properties of the cube and finally
determined the antioxidant properties of the end product.
Materials and Methods
Materials
The studied materials used were pepper, white pepper, garlic,
onion and pebe. Table 1 presents the samples names, their family,
the forms and parts in which they were used
Sampling
Fresh yellow pepper as a major component of the formulation
was harvested from a farmland at Boussiraiat about 45 Km from
Ngaoundere (Adamawa Region, Cameroon). pebe, White pepper,
Garlic and Onion was bought from a local market in Ngaoundere.
The origins of pebe and white pepper were Yokadouma (East
Region) and Penja (Littoral Region) respectively, while garlic and
onion were from Garoua (North Region). Picture 1 shows the
different samples before processing.
Table 1: Presentation of the names, family and part of the biological materials used
Samples (scientific name) |
Samples (common name) |
Family |
Forms and Parts used |
Capsicum chinenses L. |
Pepper |
Solanaceae |
Dried fruits |
Monodora myristica G. |
pebe |
Annonacea |
Dried kernels |
Piper nigrumL. |
White pepper |
Piperaceae |
Dried berries |
Allium sativum L. |
Garlic |
Liliaceae |
Fresh bulbs |
Allium cepa L. |
Onion |
Liliaceae |
Fresh bulbs |
Pictures 1:
Methods
Scheme of work
The realization of the set objectives for this work was made
possible through a sequential advancement as represented on
figure 1.
Preparation of the Samples
The studied samples were prepared according to their nature
and base on the unit operations which are briefly explained as
fellow:
Pictures 2:
Figure 1:Synoptic diagramof the work done
Sorting: The raw materials (fresh yellow peppers, pebe, white
pepper, garlic and onion) were carefully selected manually.
Sorting of the yellow pepper was to remove immature fruits,
insect infected and spoiled fruits. White pepper and pebe were
sorted to eliminate debris and stones as well as spoiled grains
and nuts respectively. Dried, infected and/or decayed garlic and
onion bulbs were removed from the samples.
Washing: The peduncles of the good fruits of the yellow pepper
were further removed and the fruits washed and rinsed with
distilled water. Also, good garlic and onion bulbs were washed
using distilled water to avoid product contamination.
Drying: The whole pepper fruits after washing were dried at
55°C in a ventilated oven for 7 days. The whole fruits were dried
in order to reduce discolouration and oxidation of carotenoids as
well as the oxidation of fats, proteins and capsaicin found in the
seeds. It has been shown by that the colour of crushed or ground
chilli powder deteriorates faster upon drying than whole chilli,
due to the auto-catalyzed degradation of carotenoids [15].
Dehulling: pebe nuts were dehulled manually and the shells
removed. The nuts were then ground.
Grinding: White pepper, pebe, garlic and onion and the dried
whole pepper were further ground using a ZAIBA® blender with
model number ZB-2255, China.
Sieving: The ground samples were then sieved using an
Analysensieb 500 μm sieve with model number 305714 to obtain
particle sizes of less than or equal to 500 μm.
Peeling: Garlic and onion were peeled and the peels discarded.
They were ground immediately after washing and prior to mixing
to prevent oxidation and discolouration.
Mixing: White pepper, Garlic and pepper were mixed with
the help of a blender to obtain a pepper enrichment on which
preliminary tests were carried out. Onion and pebe were further
being added to the enrichment and mixed thoroughly to obtain
spiced pepper enrichment.
Moulding: The spiced pepper enrichment obtained after mixing
was then formed into desired shapes and preserved in the
refrigerator to increase the product’s shelf life.
Survey on Pepper Consumption
The investigation of pepper consumption was carried out with
women with ages range from 25 to 70 years old, who are the main
marketers, processers, buyers, and users [16]. In this investigation,
information concerning forms of preservation, spices used and
appreciation of a new form of pepper preservation in the town
of Ngaoundere-Cameroon were collected. The information
was collected from sixty five (65) women chose randomly. The
investigation was carried out with the aim of knowing the types
of spices commonly used by women, as well as quantifying the
proportions of these spices so as to properly situate the lower
and upper intervals for the mixture design. With the help of a
questionnaire, the women were being asked questions and their
responses noted to the corresponding question.
Formulation for Pepper Cubes
The production of pepper cubes using five components
required a mixture of these components in appropriate
proportions so as to obtain a homogeneous mixture equivalent
to 100%. Each constituent had a percentage that depended on
the others as described by Goupy and Creighton that when the
quantity of one constituent increases the other reduces [17].
The experimental domain of the major component (pepper)
was set as 70-85% while white pepper and garlic had as domains
10–25% and 5-20% respectively. All parameters were coded as
0 for lower limit and 1 for upper limit. Minitab 14 was used as
software to generate the experimental matrix for the formulation
and analysis of experimental data. Table 2 clearly shows the
experimental matrix where X1 represents pepper, X2, White
pepper and X3 is garlic given as pseudo-components, while Table
3 indicates the same parameters in reel values. Ten experiments
were carried out in order to define the optimum proportions of
the basic components (pepper, garlic and white pepper) using
vitamin C content as response. Vitamin C content was chosen as
response because it is an antioxidant component and stands as
an indicator for antioxidant activity for the final product. It is also
very unstable and capable of undergoing modifications during
transformation since it is sensitive to heat, light and oxygen.
Table 2:Varying proportions of pepper, white pepper and garlic as
pseudo-components
Runs |
X1 |
X2 |
X3 |
1 |
0.000 |
1.00 |
0.000 |
2 |
0.167 |
0.667 |
0.167 |
3 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
1.000 |
4 |
0.667 |
0.167 |
0.167 |
5 |
0.500 |
0.500 |
0.000 |
6 |
0.000 |
0.500 |
0.500 |
7 |
0.500 |
0.000 |
0.500 |
8 |
0.333 |
0.333 |
0.333 |
9 |
0.167 |
0.167 |
0.667 |
10 |
1.00 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
Table 3:Varying masses (g) of pepper, white pepper and garlic during
formulation
Trials |
X1 |
X2 |
X3 |
Vitamin C (Vit C) |
1 |
0.700 |
0.250 |
0.050 |
Vit C1 |
2 |
0.725 |
0.2 |
0.075 |
Vit C2 |
3 |
0.700 |
0.100 |
0.200 |
Vit C3 |
4 |
0.800 |
0.125 |
0.075 |
Vit C4 |
5 |
0.775 |
0.175 |
0.050 |
Vit C5 |
6 |
0.700 |
0.175 |
0.125 |
Vit C6 |
7 |
0.775 |
0.100 |
0.125 |
Vit C7 |
8 |
0.750 |
0.150 |
0.010 |
Vit C8 |
9 |
0.725 |
0.125 |
0.150 |
Vit C9 |
10 |
0.850 |
0.100 |
0.050 |
Vit C10 |
Enrichment and Production of Spiced Pepper
The desired cube product defined as a mixture spices is to
have a high vitamin C, phenolic compound contents so as to give
to the product a high antioxidant property. In view of obtaining
a product with expected characteristics, onion and pebe were
used as additives in different proportions. According to Vaclavik
and Christian, food additives are substances or a mixture of
substances other than a basic foodstuff, added to foods for
specific physical or technical effects [18]. Onion was used in
greater quantities than pebe because of the technical advantage
i.e. its high moisture content was used to humidify the powders
so as to facilitate moulding upon compression. pebe was chosen
and used to improve the aroma of the pepper cube since the
kernels possess very strong aroma as reported by Enwereuzoh,
et al. [19]. The desired mass for the cubes was 10 g and table 4
represents the different proportions of the two ingredients which
were introduced as additives in 50% of pepper cube. Therefore,
as shown in table 4, the masses of these chose additives were
varied from 3-4g for onion and from 1-2 g for pebe while the mass
of the enriched pepper was kept at 5 g.
Production process of pepper cubes
The production of pepper cubes was done using five local
ingredients and following a sequential step as shown on figure
2 and 3, which clearly outlines the unit operations during the
production.
Table 4:Varying masses (g) of onion and pebe in different formulations
Range |
Pepper enrichment |
Onion |
pebe |
Sample A |
5.00 |
3.00 |
2.00 |
Sample B |
5.00 |
3.25 |
1.75 |
Sample C |
5.00 |
3.50 |
1.5 |
Sample D |
5.00 |
3.75 |
1.25 |
Sample E |
5.00 |
4.00 |
1.00 |
Figure 2:Production process of spiced pepper paste
Figure 3:Production process of spiced pepper cubes
Physicochemical Characterization
Chemical Analyses
Results
Dry Matter and Ash Content of the Samples
The determination of the dry matter of samples was done
using the AFNOR method and the ash content was performed
using the method described by AOAC [20, 21].
Total Proteins, Lipids and Carbohydrate Content
The total nitrogen was determined after mineralization of
the samples according to the Kjeldahl method, using boric acid
solution in the presence of an indicator as described by AACC [22].
The total nitrogen was then converted into total protein content
by multiplying with 6.25 as conversion factor. The total lipids
were extracted using the Soxhlet extractor as described in the
Russian method described by Bourely [23]. Total carbohydrate
contents were estimated by difference between the sum of other
major nutrient components (protein and fat) and moisture
content according to FAO using the following formula [24]: Total
Carbohydrate contents (%) = 100 – (% [protein + fat + moisture
content])
Determination of Vitamin C and Total Phenolic Contents
The vitamin C content was determined by the official AOAC
titrimetric method using the 2, 6 Dichlorophenol indophenols
[25]. While the crude total phenolic compounds were extracted
with 70% ethanol and then assessed with the Folin - Ciocalteu
reagent as described by Marigo [26].
DPPH Radical Scavenging Activity Assay
The antioxidant activity was determined by the capacity of a
component to trap a free radical or to give an atom of hydrogen
according to the method described by Zhang and Hamauzu with
some modifications [27]. 2 ml of freshly prepared DPPH solution
(0.1 mM prepared in methanol) was introduced into a test tube
containing 0.5 ml of sample extract. The mixture was thoroughly
mixed for 5 min and incubated in darkness for 30 min at ambient
temperature (25°C). For the control tube, methanol was used in
the place of the sample extract. Ascorbic acid was used as positive
control, the methanol replacing the sample extract, was used as
the negative control. The absorbance of the resulting solution
was read at 517 nm, and the antioxidant activity of the sample
extracts was calculated as follow:
Scavenging Activity effect (%) =100× (Acontrol–Asample)sub/Acontrol
Physical analyses: Colour determination of pepper
cube
The colour of the cubes was determined using the CIE L,
a, b coordinates L*, a* and b*, where L*, a* and b* values were
recorded, with L* indicating lightness (+) or darkness (-), a*
indicating red (+) or green (-) and b* indicating yellow (+) or bleu
(-).The three values are needed to completely describe the colour
of an object [28].
The samples were placed on a clean white paper and
introduced in a wooden box for image acquisition. The image was
introduced in the computer for pre-processing, segmentation
and colour conversion from RGB to Lab space, using the ‘’Image
J’’ software. The measurements were made directly on the top
(upper) surface, which was always steady, of cylindrical samples
and the L*, a* and b* values were recorded. The color intensity
(C) and the hue angle (hab) were calculated using the formulas
below:
Sensory analysis and hedonic evaluation
Descriptive sensory analysis is the sensory method chosen
because it enables discrimination between a range of products
based on their sensory characteristics and it also enables
panelists to identify and quantify a product’s sensory properties
[29]. Hedonic evaluation was also done according to method
described by Aka Boigny et al. [30] with some modifications to
determine the degree of consumer acceptance or preference. For
this evaluation 12 panelists were randomly chosen based on their
frequency and their awareness in pepper consumption and use.
They were sensitized on the objective of the sensory analysis.
They were also ready to undergo and how they were expected
to fill the form based on their sensory judgments. Five pepper
cube samples with different varied proportions in additives and
different codes were presented to each panelist and potable water,
bread was provided to them also for chewing and rinsing of the
mouth after each sample. A 9- point scale form that ranged from
(9)-like extremely to (1) disliked extremely was given to each
panelistto record their opinion to assess appearance (colour),
shape, size, flavour, friability, and the overall acceptability of the
product. The radar plot was used to represent the panelist view
of each sensorial characteristic of the product.
Results and Discussion
Survey on pepper consumption
A survey was carried in Adamawa region of Cameroon. Sixty
five women were sampled with the aim to know the level of
pepper consumption, the colour of peppers used and the spices
used during preparation. Out of the sampled population, it was
essential to know the consumption rate of pepper and figure 4
shows the consumption level of pepper where 76.92% of the
sampled population consume pepper and 23.08% do not. Out of
this percentage, 70% use pepper directly in food during cooking
while 30% consume as accompaniment. This finding is in-line
with studies shown by Tchiégang et al. [12] in Cameroon that
pepper is used directly as a spice in human nutrition or indirectly
(as accompaniment) after transformation. These choices of
pepper consumption can be explained by the fact that cooking
directly in food saves time and gives an additional flavour to food.
Figure 4:Representation of pepper consumers and non-consumers of
pepper from the sampled population
Figure 5:Representation of the colours of pepper chosen by consumers
Out of the individuals who consume pepper, 85.71% of them
were found to consume pepper in its fresh form and 11.43% use
the powder form to cook. While 2.86% go for both the powder
and the fresh forms. These forms of pepper consumption chosen
confirms studies that were done by Segnou et al.[31] Which
states that pepper fruits are consumed fresh or dried either as
whole fruit or ground? The preference for the fresh form is due
to its availability, accessibility and reduced pungency according
to Ozgur et al.[32] Which stipulates that dried foods are more
concentrated than fresh foods? Figure 5 shows that 50% of the
sampled population prefers yellow colour 30% preferred colour
while 20% has no particular preference. The yellow colour is
consumed more than the orange and red colours. This can be
due to the fact that the population desires pepper with mild
pungency and orange peppers are not popular in Cameroon. In
fact Tchiégang and Ngassoum reported in Cameroon that yellow
peppers are less pungent than red peppers [11].
In order to know which ingredients are used along with pe
pper during peppersauce preparation, the sampled population
were interrogated. Figure 6shows the ingredients commonly
used by the women during the preparation of their pepper sauces
Figure 6 indicates that, onion, garlic, pebe and white pepper are
the ingredients commonly used by women during pepper sauce
preparations. Chemical properties of raw materials
Chemical properties of raw materials
The results obtained after analysis of the five raw materials
(pepper, white pepper, pebe, garlic and onion) used during the
production of pepper cube sare presented in table 5.
Figure 6:Representation of the ingredients used during the preparation
of pepper sauce
Table 5:Chemical composition of raw materials (% of fresh weigh)
Composition |
Ingredients |
Pepper |
White pepper |
pebe |
Garlic |
Onion |
Moisture content (%) |
17.34±0.37 |
17.60±1.00 |
11.66±0.32 |
76.06±0.32 |
92.16±0.72 |
Vitamin C (mg) |
12.88±1.98 |
6.52±0.77 |
28.54±1.06 |
1.07±0.45 |
1.75±0.41 |
Phenolic compounds (mg) |
12.76±1.50 |
4.42±0.47 |
5.36±0.63 |
1.37±0.46 |
1.46±0.14 |
Lipids (%) |
4.15±0.04 |
5.23±0.35 |
9.60±0.02 |
0.42±0.05 |
3.26±0.04 |
Proteins N x 6.25 (%) |
19.90±0.71 |
15.75±1.93 |
24.45±4.71 |
18.73±0.56 |
3.62±0.04 |
Carbohydrate (%) |
58.61 |
61.40 |
54.29 |
4.79 |
0.96 |
Vitamin C contents
The vitamin C content for pepper was 12.88mg/100 g which
is in line with the range of 12.0 to 44.4 mg/100 g [33] for red
varieties but lower than that of dried chilli (26 mg/100 g) [34].
This difference can be due to the sensitivity of this vitamin to
oxidation upon drying and exposure to light during grinding as
well as the maturity, growth conditions and cultivar. It has been
reported that factors such as genotype, environment and fruit
maturity affect the ascorbic acid content [35, 36].
Crude phenolic compounds
The crude phenolic compound for pepper was calculated and
obtained as 12.76 mg/100g which was the highest value recorded
for this parameter. pebe, white pepper showed a slight variation
with 5.36 mg/100 g and 4.42 mg/100 g being the values recorded
for these ingredients. Onion and garlic presented the least values
of 1.46 mg/100 g and 1.37 mg/100 g respectively. The value of
the phenolic compound for garlic was 1.37 mg/100 g which is
the same value obtained by Womeni et al. [37] in Cameroon. pebe
had a value 5.36 mg/100 g which is fairly above 3.22 mg/100 g
obtained by Womeni et al. [37]. This difference could be the result
of the storage conditions of the spice.
Lipid contents
The highest lipid content was recorded in pebe with a value
of 9.60%.This value is close to 8.92% obtained by Chibuzor and
Assumpta [38]. This difference could be due to variation in the
origin and variety of the products and it could also be partly
attributed to the method fanalyses. White pepper and pepper
recorded fairly higher values of 5.23% and 4.15% respectively.
High lipid content is indicative of the fact that the sespicesare
good sources of flavors in cetheyare rich in essential oil [19].
Protein contents
The total protein contents of raw materials were determined
using Kjeldhal method. From the five ingredients used, the
highest protein content value calculated was from pebe (24.45%),
followed by pepper (19.90%), garlic (18.73%) and white pepper
(15.75%) while the least value was recorded in onion (3.62). The
protein content of pebe (24.45%)is approximately close to 27.57%
obtained by Enwereuzoh [19]. This observed difference could
be at tribute to the stage of maturity of the spice at the time of
harvest, the variety of cultivar and partly to the method of analyses
used[19].
Carbohydrate contents
The total carbohydrate contents of raw materials were
calculated by difference. The highest value was recorded for
white pepper with a percentage of 61.40, followed by pepper with
58.61% then pebe with a value of 54.29%. The least carbohydrate
value was found in onion (0.96%). The carbohydrate content was
54.29% which is fairly above 44.84% reported by Chibuzor and
Assumpta [38], in the same spice from Nigeria. This difference
could Beas a result of the origins and varieties of the samples.
Physico chemical analysis: Colour analysis
Colour analysis carried out on the raw materials and table 6
summarizes the result. Lightness (L), trichromatic parameters L,
a*, b*, Chroma (C) and Hue value (H) were calculated.
From table 6, whitepaper had the highest L*value of 99.82
followed by garlic with 97.18 the nonion with85.35. This could be
due to the presence of starch which is whitish since studies carried
by Pruthi [39] showed that this spice contains 52% of starch. The
white pepper is most lightness ingredient amongst the 5 spices
while the least lightness Oradell colour is pebe with an L* value of
41.99. The b*value of 56.67 for pepper was shown to be the highest
followed by garlic with 37.28. These values reveal that they are both
more yellowish in colour than the rest of the spices where white
pepper was seen with the least value of 17.31. Mean while, pebe
with value of 28.20 was observed to have more yellowish colour
than onion. The colour variation in these spices could be due to
varied quantities and types of colour pigments found in them since
the spices are of different varieties, origin and families.
Table 6:Colour characteristics of the ingredients used
Colour parameters |
Samples |
L* |
a* |
b* |
C |
H |
Pepper |
65.27±2.45 |
3.04±1.28 |
56.67±1.28 |
56.76±1.34 |
86.94±1.23 |
White pepper |
99.82±0.01 |
-5.76±2.71 |
17.31±9.01 |
18.25±9.39 |
108.92±1.90 |
Garlic |
97.18±4.77 |
-10.66±0.70 |
37.28±3.0 |
38.77±3.07 |
105.97±0.29 |
pebe |
41.99±0.72 |
5.41±1.22 |
28.20±0.85 |
28.73±1.04 |
79.18±2.14 |
Onion |
85.35±2.31 |
-8.29±0.76 |
19.32±0.88 |
21.03±0.98 |
113.20±1.69 |
L* = lightness. a* = redness. b* = yellowness. C = color intensity. H= Hue angle (in degree)
The Hue angle value range from 0 to 360°. The Hue angles for
white pepper, garlic and onion were 108.92, 105.97 and 113.20
respectively. From the Hue disc, these samples have colours
ranging between lemon yellow and yellow green, implying that
these spices have components that are responsible for slight
green colour they possesses. pebe and pepper had Hue values
of 86.94 and 79.18 and from the Hue disc, these spices range
between orange yellow and yellow. This can be as a result of the
colour pigments contents.
Production of pepper cubes
The Simplex Lattice Design was carried out through 10
experiments to determine the appropriate quantity of the
principal ingredients used for the pepper cubes formulation.
Table7 presents the experimental matrix carried out along with
different responses obtained for each trial. X1, X2 and X3 are the
proportions of pepper, white pepper and garlic respectively. Table
7 shows the results obtained considering vitamin C contents as
response for 10 formulations. Formulations 1, 5 and 6 showed
equal vitamin content (6.963mg/100 g), which was the highest
response among all. The lower (4.940mg/100 mg) response was
obtained from the third formulation.
Table 7:Experimental matrix and different responses for the mixture design
Trials |
X1 (g) |
X2 (g) |
X3 (g) |
Responses |
1 |
0.700 |
0.250 |
0.050 |
6.963 |
2 |
0.725 |
0.200 |
0.075 |
5.056 |
3 |
0.700 |
0.100 |
0.200 |
4.94 |
4 |
0.800 |
0.125 |
0.075 |
6.900 |
5 |
0.775 |
0.175 |
0.050 |
6.963 |
6 |
0.700 |
0.175 |
0.125 |
6.963 |
7 |
0.775 |
0.100 |
0.125 |
5.065 |
8 |
0.755 |
0.150 |
0.100 |
6.259 |
9 |
0.725 |
0.125 |
0.150 |
6.690 |
10 |
0.850 |
0.100 |
0.050 |
6.591 |
To better understand the influence of the different factors
to the response, the contour plot was drawn (figure7) with
Mini tabas software. This mixture contour plot represents the
evolution of the surface response for the experimental domain
for the 3factors (pepper, white pepper and garlic). Tegression
There egression model obtained from these response is shows
by the following equation: Y=6.59 A +6.96B+4.94 C +0.73 A*B-
2.82A*C +4.03 B*C +33.96A*B*-18.98 A*C - 12.74 A*A*B*C Where
Y is the response, A (pepper), B (white paper) and C (garlic) are
the factors The statistical analysis was performed at the level of
5%. (Table 8) shows the ANOVA analysis of the vitamin C contents
in the mixture design studied.?
Figure 7:Mixture contour plot for Vitamin Content
Table 8:Analysis of variance for vitamin C contents
Source |
DF |
Seq SS |
Adj SS |
Adj MS |
F-value |
P-value |
Regression |
8 |
6.79977 |
6.79977 |
0.84997 |
201.78 |
0.054 |
Linear |
2 |
1.75328 |
2.3189 |
1.15945 |
275.25 |
0.043 |
Quadratic |
3 |
0.79339 |
1.21296 |
0.40432 |
95.98 |
0.075 |
A*B |
1 |
0.00097 |
0.02214 |
0.02214 |
5.26 |
0.262 |
A*C |
1 |
0.22221 |
0.33248 |
0.33248 |
78.93 |
0.071 |
B*C |
1 |
0.5702 |
0.67886 |
0.67886 |
161.16 |
0.050 |
Full Cubic |
2 |
4.23558 |
4.13162 |
2.06581 |
490.41 |
0.032 |
A*B*(-) |
1 |
2.76808 |
3.94175 |
3.94175 |
935.75 |
0.021 |
A*C*(-) |
1 |
1.4675 |
1.23059 |
1.23059 |
292.14 |
0.037 |
Special Quartic |
1 |
0.01753 |
0.01753 |
0.01753 |
4.16 |
0.290 |
A*A*B*C |
1 |
0.01753 |
0.01753 |
0.01753 |
4.16 |
0.290 |
Residual Error |
9 |
0.00421 |
0.00421 |
0.00421 |
|
|
Total |
|
6.80398 |
|
|
|
|
DF: Degrees of Freedom and MS: Mean Square; SS: Sum of Squares; Adj-R2 = 99.44%.
R2=99.94%.
The linear and the full cubic terms with p-values lower than
0.05; significantly influence the vitamin C content of the product. In
order to produce the pepper cube with higher quantity of vitamin
C, the studied factors were optimized. Thus, the formula obtained
for maximum amount of vitamin C content as pseudo components
was A=0.778, B=0.222, C=0. The equivalent corresponding
proportions (in%) for these components were 0.817,0.133 and
0.05% respectively for A, B and C. The implementation of this
optimal proportions gave 10.578± 0.619mg as vitamin content
which was very close to the predicted value(10.056mg).This
result along with the higher value of the determination coefficient
(R2=99.94%) testified that the proposed model explaining the
phenomenon is acceptable and therefore can be used to predict
the vitamin C content of the final product. In fact, to be acceptable,
the coefficient of determination (R2) should be higher than 80%
[40].
Sensory evaluation and acceptability
The mean scores of the varied responses obtained from the
hedonic acceptance and descriptive sensory tests of the five
peppers on cubes am pleaser summarized on figures 8 and 9
Sample107 had an overall preference over the other four followed
by sample 218. This can be explained by the fact thatsample107
had the least pungencas are sult of the smaller quantity of onion
used. In fact onion has been reported by Pruthi [39] to be pungent
as are sult of the interaction between S-substituted-L-cysteine
sulfoxide derivative sand allinase enzymes. Hence 7.5g of onion
used in sample218 contributed to the increment of the products
pungency.
From figure 8, it was noticed that all of the samples fell within
the acceptability zone with average means cores between 6and7.
In order to select the best formulation among the five samples,
samples107and 218 scores were drawn individually. Figure9
shows the hedonic acceptance and descriptive sensory of the
samples 107 and 218.
From figure 9, it is clear that with the combination of the
studied parameters, sample 107was more preferred than
sample218. In fact, it recorded 6.83 asscoreona scale of 9
compare to sample 218, which score was6.47/9.Both samples
were retained for further analyses.
Figure 8:Hedonic acceptance and descriptive sensory of the pepper
cube samples
Figure 9:Hedonic acceptance and descriptive sensory of the samples
107 and 218
Analyses of the retained samples
Chemical analyses of the retained samples
The two final retained samples were analyzed biochemically
and results are represented in table9. As shown in table9, the lipid
content for sample107 was10.58% while the one of sample218
was 9.14%. The protein content for sample107 (49.51%) was also
slightly higher than that of sample 218 (47.24%). This difference
can be due to the varied quantity of pebe used in their formulation.
Sample 218 had 1g of pebe while sample107 possessed 1.75g and
it is the spice that was shown to contain the highest lipid content
among the 5 ingredients. The carbohydrate contents of both
samples were very low 0.28 and 2.38% respectively for sample
107and sample218. Ash content for sample107 (2.60%) was less
than that of sample218 (2.86%) and this could be because of the
solubility of some minerals in the available moisture provided
by the onion. Also, it could be as a result of the origins of the
product’s components since the chemical composition of plants
are controlled by climate, soil and plant factors and same plant
species might show different responses to uptake of nutrients
from the soil [41]. From these analyses, sample 107 was shown to
have a higher vitamin C content of 127.46 mg vitamin C/100 g of
dry weight compared to sample 218 which had 110.44 mg vitamin
C/100 g of dry weight. It was also shown to contain a higher
level of phenolic compounds (69.28 mg/100 g) than sample
218 with a total phenolic content of 66.35 mg/100 g. This could
be as a result of interactions between the phenolic compounds
and other constituents found in the other spices since phenolic
compounds belong to different classes which react differently
[42]. The sample 107 can therefore be suggested to contain a
higher antioxidant property than sample 218 since vitamin C and
phenolic compounds both have antoxidative potentials [43].
Table 9:Physico-chemical properties of the retained samples (% of
dry weight)
Parameters |
Samples |
Sample 107 |
Sample 218 |
Moisture content (%) |
37.52 ± 0.13 |
43.36 ± 0.40 |
Ash content (%) |
2.60±0.00 |
2.86±0.12 |
Protein N x 6.25 (%) |
49.51 ± 0.08 |
47.24 ± 0.13 |
Lipid (%) |
10.58± 0.02 |
9.14 ± 0.08 |
Carbohydrate (%) |
0.28 |
2.38 |
Vitamin C (mg) |
127.46 ± 2.14 |
110.44 ± 2.03 |
Phenolic compounds (mg) |
69.28 ± 0.04 |
66.35 ± 0.46 |
L* |
47.48±5.01 |
35.40±1.34 |
a* |
0.94±0.80 |
1.03±0.43 |
b* |
28.27±3.67 |
24.39±0.37 |
C |
28.29±3.68 |
24.42±0.39 |
H |
88.19±1.58 |
87.60±0.97 |
L* = lightness. a* = redness. b* = yellowness. C = color intensity. H= Hue
angle (in degree)
Colour analyses
The L*, a*, and b*, Chroma and Hue angle characteristics of
the retained samples after sensory evaluation are summarized
in table5. The L*value (lightness) for sample107was shown to be
47.48; higher than that of sample218 (35.40). Both samples had
values below 50 implying that they had dark colours with that
of sample218 having a much darker colour. The redness(a*value)
were 0.94 and 1.03 respectively for samples 107 and 218,
indicating that both samples have more of the greenish
colour than the red which could be due to the presence of the
components from garlic and onions in cethey show edhigher
negative values(greenness) of -10.66and-8.29 respectively. From
the*values, Sample 218showeda more greenish colour than
sample107.The yellowness of the food products as specified
by b*for both samples (107and218) were 28.27 and 24.39
respectively. The Chroma(C) or colour strength refers to the
amount of visual difference from a grey of the same value. It is
the intensity and the saturation level of a particular hue (closest
“pure “colour).The Chroma values for samples 107 and218 were
28.29 and 24.42 respectively. This indicates that the colour
intensity of sample 107 was much closer to the saturation of level
of pure pepper (56.76) than sample 218. This difference in the
saturation level between samples107, 218 and pure pepper can
be as a result of the low Chrome values of onion(21.03),white
pepper(18.25)and pebe (28.73).The Hue angle is the attribute
of colour by which it is perceived to be red, yellow ,green, blue,
purple, etc and generally ranges from 0 to 360°. The Hue angles of
samples 107 and 218 were 88.19 and 87.60respectively which fall
within the desired range. From the Hue disc, these two samples
eventually have colours found between orange yellow to yellow
which is due to pepper the main component in the products.
DPPH radical-scavenging activity
DPPH free radicals cavenging method was used to evaluate the
antioxidant activities of there obtained formulations. Figure10
shows that, both of the retained samples can scavenged the free
radical at different proportions. In order to compare the free DPPH
radicals cavenging activity of retained samples (107and218), with
the one provided by as corbic acid used as reference, the IC50 was
calculated (figure11). IC50 is the concentration of sample (mg/
ml) required to scavenge 50% of DPPH. It was determined from
figure10 which shows the percentage of DPPH inhibition activity
vers us the different concentrations of samples.
Figure 10:DPPH radical scavenging activity of the retained samples in
comparison with ascorbic acid as standard
Figure 11:IC50 values of the retained samples and ascorbic acid
The DPPH scavenging effect for sample 218 was lower than
that of sample107.This can be due to the fact that, the vitamin C
and phenolic content values in the sample were lower (110.44
mg vitamin C/100g dry weight and 66.35 mg/100g dry weight)
for vitamin C and phenolic compounds respectively. Both samples
showed lower IC50 values compared to ascorbic acid. However,
sample107exhibited about 50% of DPPHs cavenging activity
compared to ascorbic acid. With this, sample107can be used for
scavenging of free radical in our body more than sample208. In
fact in 2012, Everette and Islam [44] reported that vitamin C
interact with and stabilize free radicals within the body.
Base on all the above analyses, the best proportions for
pepper cube making was defined as 50%of pepper enrichment,
32.5%of onion and 17.5% of pebe.
Conclusion
This work was carried out with the aim of formulated of
pepper cube by adding white pepper, garlic, onion and pebe.
Pepper cube formulated with the selocal ingredients found
in Cameroon will promote the revalorization. The sensory
acceptance of this product implies that, it present characteristics
desired by consumers. This acceptance will enable its economic
effect and allow users to gain time in labour. From this study, it
is evident that it could be a means of contributing towards the
economic and industrial growth by promoting technological
innovations through research.
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