Browsing by Author "Gopika, P Hassan."

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Sensory profiling and nutritional quality evaluation of microgreens
(Department of Community Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2025-01-10) Gopika, P Hassan.; Suma Divakar
The present study entitled “Sensory profiling and nutritional quality evaluation of microgreens” was conducted at the Department of Community Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani during 2020-2024. The objective of the study was to ascertain the sensorial, nutritional, phytochemical, and therapeutic properties of microgreens. The study was conducted using seeds of ten different crops, namely black gram, green gram, horse gram, red gram, cow pea, mustard, fennel, fenugreek, amaranth and coriander. The five different growing media selected for growing microgreens were namely, tissue paper, cocopeat, cocopeat with soil, sand and burlap. Tray with no media was taken as the control. The seeds were broadcast in perforated plastic trays filled with medium up to a height of 5 cm and sprayed with water for 2-3 times a day. The microgreens were harvested after the appearance of the true leaves and stored in air tight polybag in refrigerator at 4°C temperature. The microgreens were then analysed for their Overall Visual Quality (OVQ) on days 1, 3, 6, and 9 after harvest by a team of thirty semi trained testers. The overall visual quality of the microgreens grown in cocopeat (red gram, mustard, fennel, amaranth and coriander), cocopeat with soil (black gram, horse gram and cow pea) and sand (green gram and fenugreek) were found to have the highest scores for the sensory parameters. The chemical and nutritional parameters like the moisture, tannins, polyphenols, flavonoids, fibre, total minerals, calcium, iron, β-carotene, vitamin C and total antioxidant activity (per 100 g) were also analysed. The moisture content of the microgreens ranged from 79.19 per cent to 91.34 per cent. The tannin content of the microgreens was in the range of 0.94 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 4.29 mg 100 g⁻¹.The polyphenol content of the microgreens ranged from 0.23 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 3.58 mg 100 g⁻¹, whereas the flavonoid content of the microgreens ranged from 1.11 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 3.84 mg 100 g⁻¹. The fibre content of the microgreens was in the range of 3.02 g 100 g⁻¹ to 11.46 g 100 g⁻¹. The total mineral content of the microgreens ranged from 0.18 g 100 g⁻¹ to 5.31 g 100 g⁻¹. The calcium content of the microgreens ranged from 129.91 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 410.52 mg 100 g⁻¹ and the iron content of the microgreens ranged from 2.06 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 7.68 mg 100 g⁻¹. The β-carotene content of the microgreens was in the range of 0.13 μg 100 g⁻¹ to 8.59 μg 100 g⁻¹, whereas the vitamin C content of the microgreens was in the range between 21.29 mg 100 g⁻¹ to 46.38 mg 100 g⁻¹. The total antioxidant activity of the microgreens ranged from 30.47 μg mL⁻¹ to 49.35 μg mL⁻¹. Based on the sensory and nutritional quality evaluation of the microgreens grown under different media, the best treatment was selected for each microgreen for further experiments. Cocopeat was found to be the best medium for cultivating red gram, mustard, fennel, amaranth and coriander, followed by cocopeat with soil for black gram, horse gram, red gram and cow pea, and sand for green gram and fenugreek. The selected microgreens were blended with various salad dressings like shallot vinegar dressing, melon dressing, curd, lime juice with lemon rind and mayonnaise, to ascertain the acceptability as salads, through sensory evaluation. Based on the mean scores obtained for the microgreen salad dressings, the best combination for each microgreen was identified. Curd was found to be the most acceptable salad dressing for green gram, horse gram, cow pea, fenugreek and coriander, followed by melon dressing for black gram, mustard and amaranth, and shallot vinegar dressing for red gram and fennel. The anti-diabetic activity of the selected microgreens was analysed through α-glucosidase activity inhibition assay. Acarbose (at a concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹) showed 96.55 per cent inhibitory effects on the α-glucosidase activity with an IC₅₀ value of 17.796 μg L⁻¹. The highest α-glucosidase activity was observed in fenugreek microgreens with an IC₅₀ value of 138.21 μg L⁻¹ and the lowest α glucosidase activity was observed in black gram microgreens with an IC₅₀ value of 240.81 μg L⁻¹ at a concentration of 100 μg L⁻¹. Fifty urban women with aptitude for home gardening were selected for the one-day awareness training programme on “Microgreen cultivation and its culinary applications”. The training was evaluated using the Kirkpatrick’s model of evaluation for Reaction, Learning, Behaviour and Result. The Kirkpatrick scores obtained for the pre and post training had shown significant difference in the t values. From the study it was observed that microgreens can be grown in different media. However, cocopeat was found to be the best medium for cultivating red gram, mustard, fennel, amaranth and coriander, followed by cocopeat with soil for black gram, horse gram, red gram and cow pea, and sand for green gram and fenugreek. Microgreens can be stored in the refrigerator (4°C) up to 9 days and is safe for consumption, although the sensorial properties like colour, freshness, brightness and general appearance decreased gradually over the days. Microgreens were also found to be rich in micronutrients like vitamin C, β carotene, iron and calcium. They are also great sources of antioxidants and dietary fibre. Microgreens can be combined with various dressings to develop salads. Curd was found to be the most acceptable salad dressing for green gram, horse gram, cow pea, fenugreek and coriander, followed by melon dressing for black gram, mustard and amaranth, and shallot vinegar dressing for red gram and fennel. Microgreens also exhibited antidiabetic properties. Fenugreek microgreens were found to have high antidiabetic property with an IC₅₀ value of 138.21μg L⁻¹; lowest IC₅₀ value of 240.81μg L⁻¹ was recorded in black gram microgreens. Incorporating microgreens into our diets not only enriches our meals with vibrant flavours and essential nutrients but also promotes sustainable practices, making them a vital choice for a healthier future.