International Conference on Chemical, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICCEBS'2012) Penang, Malaysia

Physicochemical Analysis of Jam Preparations

from Watermelon Waste
Souad Abati Mohamad, *Olorunnisola Kola Saheed and Parveen Jamal
depending on the economy, agricultural practices and
Abstract- Watermelon waste materials remained one of the technological advancement of the country where it is being
important food grade agro-wastes generated by most hospitality grown. Based on these two assertions, both seeded and
industries in Southeast Asia and particularly in Malaysia. Jam was seedless watermelon were under cultivation among Malaysian
prepared from watermelon rind with different flavours (vanilla,
pineapple, strawberry, lemon and no flavour). Five different samples
farmers. Based on shape, there globular and oblong types
were prepared at various compositions T 1 (50-50), T 2 (80-20), T 3 while colour may vary in shades of green from pale yellowish
(60-40), T 4 (40-60) and T 5 (20-80) of rind and sugar. T 1 (50-50) gave green to a deep blackish green. The thin firm external protects
the best jam set. Ten man panel (trained) evaluated the jam for its the white fleshed internal rind that varies in thickness. Seeded
sensory characteristics and physicochemical analysis. Sensory cultivars are dark brown in colour with black oval shaped
evaluation conducted among five flavours was significantly different seeds while the seedless variety may contain only white
at (p>0.05). Chemical analysis showed that ascorbic acid reduced
greatly among all treatments during three month storage. Soluble
jellylike seed forms [4]. Currently, about 11,750 hectares of
sugar and pH also decreased gradually for T 1 (from 4.96 to 4.40), T 2 agricultural land are currently under cultivation covering
(from 4.92 to 4.21), T 3 (from 4.74 to 4.11), T 4 (from 4.62 to 4.51) Rompin and Johor producing over 239,050 tones annually for
and T 5 (from 4.52 to 4.25) upon storage. Strawberry flavoured jam export and local consumption [5].
was most acceptable by the panel. In recent times, there have been challenges in agro-wastes
management due to yearly increase in production in perishable
Keywords- Ascorbic acid, Jam, Physicochemical, Sensory fruits which does not commensurate with consumer utilization
evaluation, Treatments. [6]. Hence more wholesome fruit are discarded
indiscriminately in the environment. This development makes
I. INTRODUCTION reuse and value addition of agro-waste a viable methodology

W ATERMELON (Citrullus lanatus) is a tropical fruit

widely consumed around the world and particularly
among Malaysians. The fruit is native to Africa and has been
capable of reducing their environmental impact.
Several fruits and mixed fruits wastes have been reutilized
for producing value added product such as jam with acceptable
cultivated for thousands of years in many Middle East and physical, chemical and rheological properties [6]. However,
South East Asia countries [1]. Citrullus lanatus thrive more in reports of jam made from watermelon rind (WMR) waste is
the tropical regions and enjoy worldwide popularity for its very scarce showing that watermelon wastes from restaurants,
aesthetic tastes and nutritional compositions [2]. Until recently food and beverages processing lines are scantly being reused.
when farmers experience is used in maturity detection, no WMR is one of the major solid wastes generated by several
distinct methodology has been developed to detect the fruit restaurants, cottage fruit juice producers and food industries in
maturity. One of the methods adopted by farmers is dryness of Malaysia. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the rind is
the crawling tendrils of the plant. Nutritionally, the fruit discarded indiscriminately into the environment thereby
contains up to 95% water, poor in vitamin C but contain other constituting environmental challenges. This waste rind is not
essential vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy growth presently being utilized for any value added processes due to
[3]. limited research activities focusing on the possible conversion
Many cultivars of the plant are currently being grown of the waste to other valuable products thereby making it
around the world either at commercial or at peasant level available for dumping as solid waste.
Chemically WMR contain large amount of water with
Olorunnisola k. saheed is with 1Department of Biotechnology Engineering promising levels of solid matters but devoid of high content of
Bio-environmental Research Unit (BERU),International Islamic University soluble sugar. These characteristics made it a viable candidate
Malaysia. Jalan Gombak, [Link] 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur
for the production of high quality jam. This novel use of WMR
(Phone: 0166799736; e-mail: saeedawo@[Link]).
Souad Abati Mohamad is with 2Department of Material Engineering, will among other things reduce the amount of the waste
International Islamic University Malaysia. discarded, create more income for farmers, food processors
Jalan Gombak, [Link] 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur and more importantly reduce environmental impacts of the
(email:su3ad_albati@[Link])
Parveen Jamal, was with 1Department of Biotechnology Engineering Bio- waste. Therefore, this paper focuses on the physicochemical
environmental Research Unit (BERU),International Islamic University properties and sensory evaluation of jam made from WMR.
Malaysia. Jalan Gombak, [Link] 10, 50728, Kuala Lumpur.
(jparveen@[Link])

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 International Conference on Chemical, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICCEBS'2012) Penang, Malaysia

II. MATERIALS AND METHOD cooled to room temperature and absorbance was read at
FRUIT WASTE COLLECTION [Link] was carried out at two weeks interval for 90
Fresh watermelon wastes (rind only) were collected from days.
local restaurants located at Gombak and stored immediately at
pH
4OC to avoid deterioration before processing day.
The PH of the jam samples was determined using pre-
standardized PH meter and it was carried out every fortnight
JAM PREPARATION
for 90 days.
Already prepared watermelon rind was processed into jams
according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s
III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
guidelines with slight modifications [8]. 250g of the rind was
mixed with 250g of sugar and left at room temperature for In order to know jelling properties of WMR a pre-screening
45min (no water was added as the rind contained enough process was carried out with and without pectin. Jam samples
water). The mixture with was heated to boiling and 3ml of prepared with pectin gave better gel when compared to sample
citric acid was added to improve taste. For sensory evaluation, without pectin (result not shown) and it was selected for
five different flavours were added. 5g pectin was added as the further analysis. The poor jelling property of WMR as
rind doesn’t form good jell. The produced jams were hot filled anticipated may due to low level of pectin and solid matter
into sterilized glass bottles, closed and stored at room present in the rind. Varied composition of rind, sugar and fixed
temperature (25-32OC). quantity of pectin was used to prepare different jam samples
(table 1) and physicochemical characteristics of these
ASCORBIC ACID CONTENT formulations were studied. Ascorbic acid content of the jam
Ascorbic acid was determined by iodine titrimetric method samples was determined at 15 days interval for a period of
using iodine solution. 5g of the sample was weighed and 20ml three months in order to check effects of storage on the
of water was added. After filtration, 150ml of water was ascorbic acid degradation and stability. Results showed
added. Starch solution was used as indicator. Supernatant was gradual decrease in ascorbic acid concentration in all
titrated against 0.005mol L-1 iodine solution until a dark blue treatments (table 3). This decrease might due to oxidation
black end point was reached. Ascorbic acid was calculated taking place within the sample as well as enzymatic catalytic
using stoichiometric method. Analysis was carried out at two reaction taking place within the jam mass during storage.
weeks interval for 90 days. Jawaheer et al., 2003 [10] observed same effects between jam
made from guava fruits. Another principal cause of ascorbic
SENSORY EVALUATION acid decrease might be residual oxygen present within the
Fruit sample for organoleptic evaluation were prepared container head space (assuming glass ware was impervious to
aseptically in clean transparent disposable closed containers oxygen) assisted by degrading activities of light [10]-[11].
and served fresh on the test day. Ten trained member panel Upon oxidation, ascorbic acid normally will be converted to
(seven men and three women) were selected from the de-hydroascorbic acid (DHA) which also forms di ketogulonic
university community among postgraduate students, evaluated acid (DKA) due to ring cleavage. The Anaerobic degradation
sensory characteristics (appearance, taste, mouth feel, that resumes after head space oxygen is consumed normally
sweetness, flavor and general appearance) of the samples may lead to formation of furfural [12].
using a 5-point hedonic scale ranging from dislike extremely The pH is one important parameter necessary for optimum
(1) to like extremely (5) [8]. During product testing, panel gel formation in jams. In this study, the pH of the formulated
members were allowed to clean their mouth at intervals. jam decreased gradually over the 90days storage. This
decrease in pH (more acidic) might be due to ascorbic acid
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS degradation, hydrolysis of pectin [13] and other acidic
Chemical and sensory characteristics of the jam products compounds [11]. The mean values of the pH showed a gradual
were determined in duplicates. The ten previously screened decrease in pH among the treatments (T 1 -T 5 ) this may due
member panel did consumer testing of each differently partly to their varying composition.[13] observed same trend
flavoured samples ounce and data were analyzed using SPSS in mixed fruit jam prepared from watermelon (fleshy part) and
(1995) version 11.5 (SPSS inc., Chicago, IL, USA). One way lemon. Similarly same observation was made on pH of jam
ANOVA and completely randomized test were conducted to prepared from grape fruit apple marmalade [11]. The unstable
determine significance existing in the mean values at P≤ 0.05. pH in treatments T 4 and T 5 may be due to unstable
characteristics of sugar and the rind chemical breakdown. As
TOTAL SOLUBLE SUGAR CONTENT the sugar content increase, there was increasing hardness in the
Total soluble sugar content of the sample was determined by jam making it less acceptable to tasters. The same observation
Dubois [9] method of phenol sulphuric acid 5g of sample was was reported by [15] when sugar concentrations was varied
weigh and dissolved in water (by stirring). Phenol sulphuric from 0% to 100% on constant watermelon pulp.
acid reagents were added to the supernatant. Samples were The mean values of the initial soluble sugar showed highest
value for T 5 (101.10) and lowest for T 2 (36.34) this was

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 International Conference on Chemical, Environmental and Biological Sciences (ICCEBS'2012) Penang, Malaysia

expected since the concentration differs. There was gradual T4 86.68 81.40 48.17 50.40 56.66 40.10 36.56
decrease in soluble sugar among all the treatments during the T5 101.1 96.55 91.14 88.70 71.076 57.79 37.03
90days storage (table 4). This compares very well with result
reported previously by [15]. The soluble sugar decrease over
the storage period may be due to chemical hydrolysis caused TABLE 5: SENSORY EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT JAM FLAVOURS
by low pH of the jam. This situation was also reported in Treatments Flavour
strawberry jam by [16]. Strawberry Pineapple No flavor Vanilla Lemon
The sensory evaluation of the jam is presented in table 5. Taste 4.2±1.1b 4.3±1.1b 3.5±1.1ab 3.1±1.1a 4.3±1.1b
Flavour 4.8±1.5c 4.1±1.5bc 2.4±1.5a 3.9±1.5bc 3.4±1.5ab
Generally consumer response was independent of the initial Texture 4.2±0.9b 4.3±0.9b 3.5±0.9ab 3.1±0.9a 4.3±0.9b
taste of the raw rind. Overall, strawberry flavor was most Sweetness 4.6±1.2b 4.0±1.2ab 3.1±1.2a 4.0±1.2ab 3.8±1.2ab
acceptable to tasting panels. Statistical analysis showed a Mouth feel 4.6±0.9b 4.6±0.9b 3.4±0.9a 3.9±0.9ab 3.5±0.9 a
Overall 4.6±1.1b 4.4±1.1b 3.2±1.1a 4.0±1.1ab 3.6±1.1ab
significant difference in acceptability among different
Values with different superscript letters in each row are significantly
treatments at p<0.05. For taste the maximum mean value was different (P<0.05)
pineapple (4.3) which is not significantly different from
strawberry (4.2) but highly significant to other flavours. Flavor IV. CONCLUSION
acceptability was highest for strawberries (4.8) while jam with
WMR jam was successfully prepared with important
no flavor at all gave lowest (2.4) mean value flavor
parameters studied. Equal proportion of rind and sugar gave is
acceptability. For sweetness, mouth fell and overall necessary for acceptable result in gel, soluble sugar stability,
acceptability, strawberry flavour was most acceptable and it ascorbic acid and pH. Sensory evaluation result showed wide
was significant with mean value (4.6) to all except for taste acceptance of strawberry flavored jam and was significant.
and texture where pineapple flavour gave highest mean value The jam long shelf life and stability at ambient temperature for
(4.3) hence, was more acceptable. Similar results concerning over three months storage was encouraging. The jam
flavour acceptability between non-sweet Uapaca and sweet preparation with its important acceptable characteristics is
Strychnos fruits were previously reported by [9] capable of being commercialized for industrial use.

TABLE 1: DIFFERENT JAM FORMULATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Treatments WMR (%) Sugar (%) We thank the research management centre of International
T1 50 50 Islamic University Malaysia for providing fund for successful
T2 80 20 undertaking of the research.
T3 60 40
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