Quality evaluation of artificially sweetened millet flour incorporated pomegranate RTS beverage

Abstract

The study aimed to develop a pomegranate beverage by substituting sucrose with an artificial sweetener sucralose and incorporating germinated flour from foxtail and little millet to enhance nutritional quality. The developed beverage was analyzed for physicochemical, bioactive, and sensory parameters. The result showed that substituting 100 % sucrose with sucralose had less total soluble solid content. Total and reducing sugar content was significantly high in control samples compared to sucralose-added treatments. However, total polyphenols and antioxidant activity were 20 and 18.50 % less in sucralose treatments, respectively, compared to the control. Incorporating germinated millet flour did not significantly increase the bioactive compounds of the pomegranate beverage. Further, substituting sucrose with sucralose was not accepted organoleptically, however, there was no change in the taste due to the incorporation of germinated millet flours. Hence, the substitution of sucrose with sucralose depends on the fruit type in the preparation of RTS (Ready-to-serve) beverage and the incorporation of germinated millet flours depends on the concentration to enhance the bioactive compounds of the beverage.