Nutrient and saponin content of Moringa oleifera leaves under different blanching methods

Abstract

Moringa oleifera leaves has high nutritional value and potentially used as food material addition. However, the addition of M. oleifera leaves may increase the bitter taste and unpleasant odor caused by saponin. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the optimum blanching methods of M. oleifera leaves, which can decrease the saponin content and maintain the nutritional value. The M. oleifera leaves were blanched in four different types namely boil blanching, boil blanching with the addition of (sodium bicarbonate, in-activated bentonite, and activated bentonite). Boil blanching with the addition of activated bentonite have been decreased saponins content of M. oleifera leaves to the lowest content of 0.35 %, with 26.03 % protein content, and 86.87 mg 100g-1vitamin C. These results indicate that the addition of activated bentonite in the boil blanching process was able to decrease the saponin content by 80%, and maintain the nutritional value.