Development and Stabilization of Value-Added Functional Drink Using Melon By-Product Agricultural Waste

Abstract

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a widely grown horticulture crop in many parts of the world widely known for its nutritive properties. Processing of melon leads to the production of a wide range of natural end-user products and produces a significant quantity of underutilized by-products about 35%, which are made up of 3–7% of seeds and 25–44% of peels. The objective of the present research is the development of a value-added drink to effectively utilize melon by-products which are considered an excellent source of antioxidants and bioactive compounds using varying concentrations of peel and seed powder (5 and 10%) and their extracts (1 and 3%) alongside control treatment for comparison purpose. The prepared value-added drinks were stored for 3 months at $4\pm 1$ °C and analyzed at 15-day intervals for physicochemical characteristics, bioactive components, antioxidant indices, and sensorial evaluation. A significant ( $p<0.05$ ) decrease in pH and an increase in acidity were noticed while total soluble sugars decreased slightly in all treatments throughout storage. In comparison to other drinks, value-added drink ( $T_6$ ) prepared by incorporating 3% melon peel extract preserved total phenolic contents ( $1.80\pm 0.07$  mg GAE/g), total flavonoid contents ( $0.53\pm 0.003$  mg QE/g), DPPH ( $53.23\pm 0.07\%$ ), and FRAP ( $3.85\pm 0.08$  μM FeSO4/g) at the end of storage and was effective in maintaining quality attribute, better retention of bioactive compounds, and longer shelf life due to higher antioxidant potential. In terms of sensorial scores, $T_4$ (10% melon seed powder) was more acceptable and was effective in maintaining physicochemical attributes throughout storage. The conversion of such waste in developing innovative functional foods could maximize profit, reduce environmental issues, and improve the sustainability of food by incorporating food waste into the food chain. Such research investigation is aimed at allaying growing concerns about food waste by reusing rejected food by-products.