Flavouring agent from jackfruit (artocarpus heterophyllus l.)

Flavouring agents have been used worldwide in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products. Most of the flavouring agents used are synthetically produced which at times lack the natural taste of the material. This study aimed to study the usage of tropical fruits as natural flavouring agents and the best mechanism and solvent system that are able to extract the best quality of flavouring agent. The tropical fruit chosen in this study is A. heterophyllus L. or commonly known as jackfruit. Three solvent systems (50%, 70% and 90% ethanol) and two processing mechanisms (blended and whole fruit flesh) are studied in this research. The utilization of jackfruit waste (perigones) is also studied. The total phenolic content (TPC) of each extract was measured and the samples with the highest and lowest TPC content was evaluated using trained panelists. The results of the study showed that the sample extracted using solvent system with the highest polarity and blended mechanism (50% EtOH Blended) contains the highest concentration of phenols while the lowest TPC was measured in 90% EtOH whole jackfruit flesh. The perigones of the jackfruit also showed a significant amount of phenols which can be further utilized. The results of the sensory evaluation showed no significant difference between the sample with the highest and lowest TPC. This shows that for the production of flavouring agent from A. heterophyllus L. blending is not required to produce a flavouring agent that is acceptable by consumers which will reduce the cost of production.