Development, Sensory Attributes, Physicochemical Properties and Storage Stability of Pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) Juice Spheres

Abstract

The spherification technique is a novel way to convert fruit juice into edible spheres. The objective of this study was to develop pineapple juice spheres using frozen reverse spherification by varying the sphere diameter from 1.5 cm to 4.5 cm and the contact time between the spheres and the sodium alginate bath from 5 to 11 min, followed by evaluation of their physicochemical, textural, sensory, and storage characteristics. Fresh juice spheres exhibited a TSS of 9.08 ± 0.06 °Brix, pH of 3.80 ± 0.01, acidity of 0.55 ± 0.12%, ascorbic acid content of 19.72 ± 0.98 mg/100 mL, total phenols of 83.60 ± 0.94 mg GAE/100 g, and antioxidant activity of 61.93 ± 0.38%. A sphere diameter of 3.5 cm and a contact time of 7 min yielded optimal spheres with the highest sensory scores. Furthermore, the juice spheres were stored under refrigeration for 9 days, during which TSS increased, while acidity and bioactive compounds declined significantly. Ascorbic acid decreased to 1.06 ± 0.26 mg/100 mL and antioxidant activity to 9.32 ± 1.98%. The overall acceptability score decreased from 8.25 ± 0.09 to 5.89 ± 0.19, with microbial growth appearing on day 9 (2.34 log CFU/mL). The study concludes that pineapple spheres are a promising functional product and should be consumed within 3 to 6 days for optimal quality.