Sustainable Sythesis of Eco-friendly Yogurt From Fruit Waste
Hammad Majeeda b c, Tehreema Iftikhara b d e, Aqsa Javaidb f
- auniversity of management and technology Lahore, Sialkot Campus, Sialkot, Pakistan
- bApplied Botany Lab, GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
- cDepartment of Chemistry, University of Management and Technology, Sialkot Campus, Sialkot, Pakistan
- dpakaim2001@yahoo.com
- eAqsa Javaid GC University, Lahore, Pakistan
- fGC University, Lahore, Pakistan
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Abstract
Abstract Agricultural waste is not only contributing to landfills but also generating significant amounts of greenhouse gases (GHGs), thereby increasing carbon footprints. The key solution to address climate change lies in adopting sustainable practices across all research fields. Our current study is innovative, as it involves utilizing fruit waste for green synthesis to produce zinc nanoparticles and formulate a fortified yogurt, aiming to combat zinc deficiency, especially prevalent in developing countries. The synthesis of zinc nanoparticles with an average diameter of 71nm was achieved using Citrus sinensis peel extract, which effectively reduced zinc ions. To fortify yogurt, zinc was added to pasteurized milk at 50% of its recommended dietary allowance and incubated at 37°C for 5 hours. Subsequently, we conducted sensory, physical, antibacterial, and rheological analyses to assess the impact of zinc fortification on various yogurt properties. The antibacterial analysis revealed that zinc-fortified yogurt exhibited increased antibacterial activity. The sensory evaluation indicated that the fortified samples received higher scores compared to the control. Fortification did not significantly affect the moisture content, ash content, acidity, pH, and density of yogurt. Over the 14 days storage period, all samples experienced a slight decrease in moisture content, while ash content increased. The pH exhibited an inverse relationship with storage time, whereas titratable acidity displayed the opposite trend. The density of yogurt samples remained unaffected by fortification or storage time. Zinc-fortified yogurt demonstrated reduced syneresis due to the efficient binding of zinc nanoparticles with casein micelles, resulting in stabilized yogurt gel. Rheological analysis showed that the apparent viscosity of all samples increased during the 14-day storage period. However, freshly prepared fortified samples exhibited higher initial viscosity and slower viscosity increases compared to the control.