The Effect Of Different Types Of Sugar (Coconut Sugar And Molasses) And Their Concentrations On Physicochemical And Sensorial Properties Of Cocoa Pulp Beverage Fermented With Water Kefir Grains

Abstract

In this research, coconut sugar and molasses were determined the effect on the cocoa pulp juice, which is usually considered as food waste in chocolate production, fermented with water kefir. Different concentrations of coconut sugar and molasses were added in the juice with water kefir to determine the effect of different types and concentrations on the physicochemical properties and sensorial properties. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Potassium Ferricyanide Reducing Power (PFRAP) assays were used for determining antioxidant activities of the drinks after fermentation. The results showed that pH, alcohol content mostly unchanged, ranging from 3.5-3.78, 1.5-2.33% Alcohol by volume (ABV), respectively, while there was an increase in titratable acidity in molasses fermented water kefir. Moreover, total phenolic compounds shared the same trend with DPPH and PFRAP determinations. Although sharing the same trend, only samples using molasses had significantly different among those with p<0.05 ranging from 443.43 to 1081.21 mg Vitamin C Equilibrium Antioxidant Capacity (VCEAC)/ L for DPPH and 277.90 to 850.04 mg VCEAC/ L for PFRAP assay. The sensory analysis also showed that using molasses in water kefir had impact on the sensory properties like appearance, taste, odor, sourness, and overall acceptance. Therefore, this research suggests that coconut sugar and molasses could be the alternative sugar to add more nutrients and provide higher content of antioxidants in water kefir