Antioxidant activity and physicochemical analysis of coconut, kithul and palmyrah palm treacle

Abstract

Treacle from the palm trees of coconut, palmyra, and kithul exhibits antioxidant and medicinal properties as mentioned in Sri Lankan ethnomedicine however the research regarding the nutritional, physicochemical, sensory, and functional properties of palmyrah treacle are limited and the treacle remains underutilized compared to coconut and kithul treacle. The purpose of this study is to compare the antioxidant activity and physicochemical properties of coconut, kithul, and palmyra treacle and to provide comparative facts for the betterment of the palm treacle industry. Pooled sap samples of coconut, kithul, and palmyra were collected from respective collecting center and the treacle was prepared and kept in refrigerators for further analysis. Physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, microbial quality, and sensory analysis were performed using triplicates from each sample. Significantly highest (p<0.05) total sugar (67.90%) and ash content [0.075(±0.002)] %was obtained for palmyrah treacle, while protein content was significantly highest for kithul [0.570 (±0.0120)] than coconut [0.410 (±0.0040)] and palmyrah [0.028 (±0.0070)] %. Total phenolic content was significantly highest for coconut [278.02 (±1.35)] while there were no significant differences between palmyrah [191.02(±4.80)] and kithul [190.23 (±2.71)] mg GAE/100g. DPPH's scavenging ability with the IC values of palmyrah, coconut, and kithul were 1.69 (±0.13), 2.91 (±0.04), and 2.21(±0.14) mg/mL respectively. This study could be useful to disseminate knowledge and create awareness among people on different treacle varieties and their antioxidant properties. This finding will uplift the utilization of palm treacle or the in-cooperation of palm treacle in other food products such as sweeteners.