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EFFECT OF ENZYMATIC TREATMENT ON JUICE YIELD AND CLARITY OF PINEAPPLE IN AKWA IBOM STATE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) (L.) Merr.) is one of the most valuable tropical fruits, with the third-largest tropical fruit production worldwide, after bananas and citrus. Pineapple is highly sought after and widely grown in Nigeria, especially in the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones, which includes Akwa Ibom, where climatic conditions for commercial pineapple farming are highly favourable, with high mean annual rainfalls, humidity, and availability of fertile soils (FAO, 2023). It is highly valued for its nutritional properties, which include vitamin C (ascorbic acid), dietary fibre, bromelain enzyme, manganese and antioxidants, imparting significant health protective effects.
While Akwa Ibom State is agronomically abundant in pineapple, the processing of raw pineapple into commercial juice products is technically challenging. Traditional juice extraction techniques suffer from low yield and hazy appearance of the juice due to the presence of pectin, starch and protein macromolecules in the fruit matrix (Nwachukwu & Ibeabuchi 2022). These quality issues limit consumer appeal, shorten juice shelf-life and hinder the marketability of locally produced juice in domestic and international markets.
Enzymatic processing is a scientifically proven means to address these problems. Enzymatic treatment of fruit pulp with cell-wall degrading enzymes, in particular pectinases, cellulases, hemicellulases, and amylases, enables the cleavage of polysaccharides, resulting in the release of juice, decrease in viscosity and increase in clarity. Research has shown that enzymatic intervention can increase the juice extracted by 15-30%, and decrease turbidity compared to the traditionally processed juice (Adebayo-Tayo et al., 2021; Aliyu & Kutama, 2022). Thus, the judicious use of commercial enzyme formulations in the processing of pineapple juice forms a potential mechanism for value addition, especially for small and medium sized food processing industries and agro-industries in Akwa Ibom State.
The aim of the study is to establish the effect of enzymatic treatment on the juice yield and turbidity of pineapple juice extracted in Akwa Ibom State to generate empirical evidence for better processing strategies for industrial Nile beer production in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Pineapple juice extraction in Akwa Ibom State is hampered by low juice yield and juice turbidity. Conventional and semi-industrial techniques for the extraction of pineapple juice are mainly mechanised pressing methods, which do not adequately disrupt the cell wall matrix, rich in pectin, thereby limiting juice yield from the plant to levels far below the theoretical maximum. Insoluble residual pectin, starch, and protein are left in suspension, causing turbidity and an unpalatable product that does not comply with visual and aesthetic requirements of the modern market and stringent export quality requirements.
Moreover, the non-adoption of innovative enzyme-based processing technologies among small-scale processors due to both technical constraints, availability of enzyme and lack of empirical evidence for Akwa Ibom pineapple varieties continue to limit the juice production process. Waste generated from the lack of fruit residue utilisation adds to existing losses and subsequent economic hardship among smallholder farmers and processors (Effiong & Umoren, 2023). There is, therefore, a need for location specific studies to assess the feasibility and efficacy of enzyme treatment as processing intervention in the state.
1.3 Objectives of the Study
Aim:
To evaluate the effect of enzymatic treatment on the juice yield and clarity of pineapple fruit in Akwa Ibom State.
Specific Objectives:
- To determine the juice yield of pineapple subjected to different concentrations of pectinase, cellulase, and their combination relative to an untreated control.
- To evaluate the turbidity and optical clarity (absorbance at 660 nm) of pineapple juice produced under enzymatic and non-enzymatic conditions.
- To assess the physicochemical properties (pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, and viscosity) of enzymatically treated pineapple juice.
- To determine the optimal enzyme concentration and incubation conditions (temperature, time, pH) that maximise both yield and clarity.
- To examine the sensory acceptability of the enzymatically treated pineapple juice among a panel of trained evaluators in Akwa Ibom State.
1.4 Research Questions
- What is the effect of different enzyme types and concentrations on the juice yield of pineapple in Akwa Ibom State?
- How does enzymatic treatment influence the turbidity and clarity of extracted pineapple juice?
- What physicochemical changes occur in pineapple juice as a result of enzymatic treatment?
- What combination of enzyme concentration and incubation parameters produces the highest yield and best clarity?
- How do consumers in Akwa Ibom State perceive the sensory attributes of enzymatically treated pineapple juice?
1.5 Significance of the Study
This study will have multiple ramifications for stakeholders. Pineapple juice processors and agribusinesses in Akwa Ibom State will have research-based recommendations for the use of enzyme-assisted juice extraction processes to reduce losses, increase their profitability and product quality. The food and beverage sector in Nigeria will obtain localised evidence that can be used to scale up enzymatic processing for commercial-scale production of pineapple juice.
Nutritionally, the benefits include better retention of the health-promoting phytochemicals – ascorbic acid and bromelain – due to improved juice clarity and yield, respectively. The study will offer data scientists and food technologists a data-driven addition to the body of research on West African tropical fruit processing. The results of this study can be used by policymakers and agricultural value chain development agencies, like the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Agriculture, to develop support systems through advancements in technology adoption to improve the production of small-scale processors, leading to betterment of the state’s value chain.
1.6 Scope of the Study
This research focuses on the effect of enzyme treatment on pineapple (Ananas comosus) sourced from commercial farms in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Three types of enzymes: pectinase, cellulase and pectinase-cellulase will be used at different levels of concentration. The measurements will include juice yield (%), turbidity (NTU), absorbance value at 660 nm, pH, titratable acidity, total soluble solids (°Brix) and viscosity. Sensory analysis will be carried out by a panel of 15 trained assessors. This work will not include the study of microbiological safety, shelf life and industrial pilot-scale studies, which are recommended for future work.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Enzymatic Treatment:
The application of specific enzyme preparations to fruit pulp or juice to catalyse the hydrolysis of structural polysaccharides (pectin, cellulose, hemicellulose), thereby increasing juice extractability and improving clarity.
Juice Yield:
The volume of juice extracted from a given mass of fruit, expressed as a percentage of the fresh fruit weight, serving as an indicator of extraction efficiency.
Turbidity:
The optical cloudiness or haziness of a liquid caused by suspended particles, measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).
Pectinase:
A group of enzymes (including polygalacturonase, pectin lyase, and pectin methylesterase) that catalyse the degradation of pectin, a major structural polysaccharide in fruit cell walls.
Cellulase:
Enzymes responsible for the hydrolysis of cellulose into glucose units, facilitating cell wall breakdown in plant-based substrates.
Total Soluble Solids (TSS):
A measure of the dissolved solids (primarily sugars) in juice, expressed in degrees Brix (°Brix), used as an index of sweetness and overall quality.
Viscosity:
The resistance of a fluid to flow; in juice processing, reduced viscosity following enzymatic treatment is indicative of effective pectin degradation.
References
Adebayo-Tayo, B. C., Ogunjobi, A. A., & Okonkwo, F. I. (2021). Enzymatic improvement of pineapple juice quality: Effects of pectinase and cellulase on yield and clarity. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 45(3), e15312. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.15312
Aliyu, A. S., & Kutama, A. S. (2022). Enzyme-assisted extraction of tropical fruit juices: A review of current trends and prospects for Nigeria’s beverage industry. Nigerian Journal of Nutritional Sciences, 43(1), 88–102.
Effiong, O. O., & Umoren, I. E. (2023). Post-harvest losses and value addition strategies for pineapple in South-South Nigeria. Tropical Agricultural Research, 34(2), 45–58.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2023). FAOSTAT: Crop production data. https://www.fao.org/faostat
Nwachukwu, I. D., & Ibeabuchi, J. C. (2022). Challenges and prospects in pineapple juice production in Nigeria: A review. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 8, 100300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100300