Chemical Characterization of Carrot and Sweet Lime Blended Nectar during Storage
Oshin Pali *
Department of Vegetable Science, I.G.K.V., Raipur (C.G.), India.
Annu Verma
Department of Vegetable Science, I.G.K.V., Raipur (C.G.), India.
Gunjeshree Gond
Department of Vegetable Science, I.G.K.V., Raipur (C.G.), India.
Aaliya Afroz
Department of Vegetable Science, I.G.K.V., Raipur (C.G.), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Carrot (Daucus carota) provides carotenoids, whereas sweet lime (Citrus limetta) contributes ascorbic acid and acidity to blended fruit–vegetable beverages. This study described five chemical attributes of nectar containing six carrot-to-sweet-lime juice ratios (100:0, 80:20, 60:40, 40:60, 20:80, and 0:100) during 90 days of room-temperature storage. Total juice constituted 20% of each formulation, nominal total soluble solids were adjusted to 15%, and citric acid (3 g L⁻¹) and sodium benzoate (0.6 g L⁻¹) were added. Sealed bottles were heated until the nectar reached approximately 80 °C. pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, and β-carotene were measured at days 0, 30, 60, and 90. Across formulations, mean pH declined from 3.95 to 3.36, ascorbic acid from 15.77 to 12.22 mg/100 mL (22.5% loss), and β-carotene from 0.83 to 0.76 mg/100 mL (8.8% loss). Mean soluble solids increased from 15.05% to 15.60%, and titratable acidity from 0.36% to 0.41%. Sweet lime-rich formulations generally showed higher measured ascorbic acid and acidity and lower pH. The absolute nutrient concentrations require caution because starting-juice composition and analytical recovery have not been documented. The observations do not establish microbiological safety, sensory acceptability, or shelf life.
Keywords: Carrot, sweet lime, fruit–vegetable nectar, ascorbic acid, β-carotene, physicochemical characteristics, storage