Antioxidant Activity, Physical Quality of Dragon Fruit Flavored Ice Cream at Different Aging Times

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effects of adding dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) and aging time on the physicochemical and functional characteristics of ice cream, including pH, viscosity, melting strength, overrun, and antioxidant activity. Dragon fruit was added at levels ranging from 0 to 40%, while the aging time ranged from 4 to 20 h at a storage temperature of 4 °C. The results showed that increasing the dragon fruit concentration and aging time had a significant effect (P<0.01) on all parameters tested. The pH decreased from 6.68 to 6.21 with increasing dragon fruit content and aging time, likely due to the accumulation of organic acids and microbial activity. The viscosity increased by 32.88 cP at 20 h of aging with 30% dragon fruit content, indicating optimal hydration and emulsion stabilization. The melting capacity also increased (38.36–63.36 g/30 min), while the overrun decreased from 60.58% to 54.30% due to the increased viscosity and decreased air retention capacity of the mixture. The highest antioxidant activity was achieved with 20–30% dragon fruit addition and 12–16 h of aging, reaching 78–79%, due to the optimal release of bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins and phenolics. Overall, the best formulation was obtained with a combination of 20–30% dragon fruit and an aging time of 12–16 h, resulting in ice cream with stable pH, high viscosity, and a balanced melting rate and overrun, as well as high antioxidant activity, making it a potential candidate for development as a functional ice cream product based on natural ingredients. Keywords: Ice cream, dragon fruit, aging, pH, viscosity, antioxidant.

Access to Document

Other files and links

• Link to publication in Scopus
• Open Access Version Available

Fingerprint