Sains Malaysiana 47(7)(2018): 1483–1490

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4707-16

Selected Physicochemical Properties of Registered Clones and Wild Types Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) Fruits and Their Potentials in Food Products

(Sifat Fizikokimia Terpilih Klon Berdaftar dan Buah Rambutan Jenis Liar (Nephelium lappaceum L.) serta Potensinya dalam Produk Makanan)

KONG FEI CHAI, NORANIZAN MOHD ADZAHAN, ROSELINA KARIM, YAYA RUKAYADI & HASANAH MOHD GHAZALI*

Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Received: 17 November 2017/Accepted: 3 March 2018

ABSTRACT

Rambutan fruit is an exotic fruit and is getting popular worldwide. However, there is usually a glut of rambutan fruit every year which leads to wastage, especially those from underutilized wild types. Transforming the fruit into various products could reduce the wastage. Before doing so, the characteristics of the fruit should be available. Hence, the main aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical properties of various cultivars of rambutan. The results showed that rambutan fruit comprises between 38.6-70.8% peel, 19.1-45.9% pulp and 8.3-20.3% seed. On average, it has a pH, titratable acidity and total soluble solids of 4.18-5.44, 0.10-0.52% as citric acid and 13.78-16.67 °Brix, respectively. The fruit contains high sugar contents, mainly contributed by sucrose (5.38-10.01%), fructose (1.75-3.18%) and glucose (1.72-2.43%). Citric acid was the major organic acid found in the fruit and wild type, WT1, contained the highest level. Some rambutan cultivars including Clone R3, WT1 and wild type, WT2, possess greater concentrations of ascorbic acid compared to other tropical fruits. With these findings, various types of food products could be derived from rambutan fruit based on their physicochemical properties.

Keywords: Organic acids; proportion of different parts of fruit; pulp-to-seed ratio; sugars

ABSTRAK

Rambutan adalah sejenis buah eksotik yang semakin popular di serata dunia. Tetapi, bekalan buah rambutan yang berlebihan terutamanya rambutan jenis liar telah menyebabkan pembaziran setiap tahun. Transformasi buah rambutan kepada pelbagai produk dapat mengurangkan pembaziran. Namun, ciri-ciri buah perlu diketahui sebelum transformasi dilakukan. Oleh itu, objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan ciri fizikokimia pelbagai kultivar rambutan. Keputusan kajian menunjukkan rambutan terdiri daripada 38.6-70.8% kulit, 19.1-45.9% isi dan 8.3-20.3% biji. Rambutan mempunyai pH4.18-5.44, keasidan titrat sebanyak 0.10-0.52% asid sitrik dan jumlah pepejal terlarut sebanyak 13.78-16.67 °Brix. Buah rambutan mengandungi kandungan gula yang tinggi dan terdiri daripada sukrosa (5.38-10.01%), fruktosa (1.75-3.18%) dan glukosa (1.72-2.43%). Asid sitrik ialah asid organik utama yang terdapat dalam buah rambutan dan rambutan jenis liar, WT1 mengandungi kandungan asid sitrik yang tertinggi antara semua kultivar rambutan yang dikaji. Beberapa kultivar rambutan termasuk buah rambutan Klon R3, WT1 dan rambutan jenis liar, WT2, mengandungi asid askorbik yang lebih tinggi berbanding buah tropika lain. Keputusan menunjukkan kultivar rambutan yang berbeza mempunyai ciri fizikokimia yang berlainan dan pelbagai jenis produk makanan dapat dihasilkan berdasarkan ciri fizikokimia masing-masing.

Kata kunci: Asid organik; gula; nisbah isi-ke-biji; perkadaran buah pada bahagian yang berbeza

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*Corresponding author; email: hasanah@upm.edu.my