Application of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) as a Functional Food Ingredient with Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity

摘要

Lemongrass showed potential for development as a functional ingredient due to the presence of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) and lower cytotoxic activity. However, studies regarding the application of lemongrass as ingredient have yet to be conducted to observe stability against heat treatment in processing model as well as its interaction with other ingredients. This study aimed to assess the AGI stability against rapid and long-term heating to model pasteurization and incubation, respectively. Moreover, the impact of lemongrass on the physical and sensory qualities of two dairy products was evaluated. The AGI activity was measured using rat intestinal glucosidase inhibition assay and sensory evaluation was performed using the Hedonic test. Stability testing against heating as applied in the ice cream and yoghurt production showed that heating decreased AGI activities, where longer heating intensified the effect vigorously. Noteworthy was that a higher extract amount lessened the damaging effect significantly. Yoghurt fortified with 1,500 mg/L of lemongrass extract failed to form. Fortification of lemongrass extract reduced viscosity in both ice cream and yoghurt, increased meltdown rate and reduced overrun value in ice cream. Varied concentrations of lemongrass added in ice cream had no significant effect on the sensory acceptance. Hence, lemongrass showed high potential as a functional ingredient for ice cream.