Nutritional composition of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) as a candidate yogurt sweetener

Abstract

Yogurt is a dairy product considered a healthy food due to its nutritional and health benefits. To add flavor to the yogurt, sucrose is added, which causes an increase in calories and makes it unsafe for diabetics. Monk fruit is the fruit of the Chinese plant Luo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii). Monk fruit is known for its sweet flavor. This study aimed to determine the nutritional compounds of monk fruit. This study will focus on characterizing the biochemical composition of monk fruit with the objects of peel (T1), flesh (T2), and whole fruit (T3). Each object consists of 6 replications with parameters: water content (%), ash (%), fat (%), protein (%), carbohydrate (%), and the percentage of total sugar (%). The data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. The Duncan test was followed when performing the multiple comparisons. The results obtained showed nonsignificant differences (P>0.05) in total sugar (%). The flesh contains the least water and ash (P<0.05) compared to the peel and whole fruit; the peel contains the lowest protein and the highest carbohydrate (P<0.05), the whole fruit contains the lowest fat; but total sugar (%) is the highest compared to the peel and flesh (P>0.05). Based on the nutritional composition of this study, it is recommended that the best part of monk fruit as a candidate natural sweetener for yogurt is the flesh. Although total sugar (%) was not significantly different from other monk fruit parts, the flesh had the highest protein (P<0.05) and the lowest fat (P<0.05), which is equivalent to low calories. The flesh of monk fruit as a low-calorie sugar alternative can be used in functional foods that have many health benefits, so it is a great candidate for yogurt sweetener.