Abstract:
“Beheth Nelli” (Phyllanthus emblica) and “Iramusu” (Hemidesmus indicus) are
underutilized herbal plants that have medicinal and therapeutic properties. Ice
cream is generally treated as a junk food and a poor source of phytochemicals and
anti-oxidants. The present study was carried out to develop a herbal ice cream to
enhance the nutritional quality by incorporating “Nelli” and “Iramusu” extracts.
Standard ice cream mix was formulated to contain 9.65% fat, 12.87% Solid-Non-
Fat (SNF), 10% sugar, and 0.4% gelatin as a stabilizer. “Nelli” extracts were
incorporated at the rate of 6, 8,10,12 % (w/w) of the ice cream mix while the
“Iramusu” extract was added as a substitute to vanilla essence with a constant
concentration of 0.4% (w/w) to all the mixes. Pumpkin seeds were also added to
enhance organoleptic properties as a substitute to cashew. Sensory properties of
the 6% “Nelli” extract incorporated ice cream showed significantly higher values
compared to other treatments. Ice cream made with 6% “Nelli” extract had 9.48%
fat, 11.48% Milk-Solid-Non-Fat (MSNF) and 4.37% proteins. The present study
determined the physico-chemical properties during the storage period of 40 days
at -18 ± 1°C. Parameters such as acidity (0.5-0.6 %), total solids (30.0-37.5 %), and
specific gravity (1.08-1.21) of the ice cream increased significantly (p<0.05) while
pH (6.2-5.9), overrun (66.1-55.5 %), decreased significantly (p<0.05). Protein, fiber
and ash contents did not show any significant changes during storage. Storage
caused significant changes (p<0.05) on a* (6.56 -10.18), where a* value indicates
changes in greenness to redness. First dripping time (6.55-17.15 min) increased
while melting rate (84-70%) decreased significantly (p<0.05). Microorganisms
(Total plate count) were not detected in ice cream during the storage period of 40
days. The calorific value of the herbal ice cream was 170.76 kcal/100g. The
developed ice cream can be introduced to the market as a novel value-added herbal
ice cream with improved sensory properties.
