Study of the physiological effect of the consumption of arepas enriched with pectin extracted from banana passionfruit peel (Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima)

Abstract

The physiological effect of corn arepas consumption enriched with 10% (w/w) pectin extracted from banana passionfruit peel was evaluated on the serum levels of glucose and lipid in adult volunteers. The pectin was extracted with hydrochloric acid and precipitated with 96% (v/v) ethanol. Firstly, the volunteers consumed arepa without pectin for seven days; then, arepa with 10% of commercial citrus pectin for 20 days, and, finally, arepa with 10% banana passionfruit pectin for 20 days. At the same time, a sensory acceptance analysis was carried out. The results showed that, when consuming arepa with banana passionfruit pectin, serum glucose levels decreased significantly (5.88% (p = 0.023)), while the lipid profile was not affected. The arepa formulated with banana passionfruit pectin showed a higher percentage of soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, as well as a lower percentage of available carbohydrates as compared to the other analyzed arepas. The sensory panel ruled low acceptance in flavor and texture for arepas with commercial citrus and banana passionfruit pectin. It was concluded that banana passionfruit pectin can be used for the formulation of arepas since it offers to consumers a beneficial food to reduce blood glucose levels.