THE EFFECT OF CINNAMON POWDER ON SOME NUTRITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF ZOBO (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA) DRINKS
Abstract:ABSTRACT
Zobo, an extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa, is a highly nutritive and refreshing
beverage, but is limited in production and use as its nutrients are denatured
within a short period due to low shelf life. Many natural preservatives have
been used to inhibit spoilage and preserve its nutrients. Cinnamon is a potent
anti-oxidant, additive and preservative. This study was designed to determine
the effect of blending with cinnamon on the nutritive value of zobo drink
during a seven days storage period. Six graded levels of cinnamon addition (0,
1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 g cinnamon per 200ml zobo) constituted the treatments in a
Completely Randomized Design. The parameters studied include pH,
Titratable Acidity, brix content, minerals, and Vitamin C. The results revealed
that cinnamon contents decreased zobo drinks in pH and
increased it in Titratable Acidity while in storage, the converse of which is
true for the control. The brix content of all zobo treatments increased with
storage, but the increase is marginal at higher cinnamon levels. Cinnamon
content or storage did not give direct effect or trend to the mineral content
of the treatments. Vitamin C content was significantly enhanced by increasing
cinnamon content, but decreased with storage. The use of cinnamon (3g/200ml
zobo) as an additive and preservative in zobo drink production is strongly
recommended.