Functional blueberry beverages with the addition of Arabic Gum

Abstract

This study aimed to add value to Arabic Gum (AG) and the blueberry discarded harvest fromNorthwest of Argentina, developing functional dietary beverages with AG at three concentrations of 0; 5;10 and 15 g/100 mL, and to assess the sensory acceptability, physicochemical characteristics andantioxidant properties. Material and methods: Blueberries (BB) at 30 g/100 mL and steviol glycosides (0.03 g/100 mL) were used. Results: The beverage with 10 g/100 mL of AG had the best scores for sensory acceptability and waspreferred by consumers. It has a pH of 3.88, soluble solid content of 14.97 °Brix, density of 1.05 g/cm 3 anda colour which showed a tendency from red to blue. The Total Caloric Value (per 100 mL of beverage) was53.4 Kcal, 13.53 g of carbohydrates, 8.80 g of total dietary fibre, and a sodium content of 12.26 mg. Thetotal polyphenol content was 214.23 mg GAE /100 g.Conclusions: The serving size of functional beverage covers 70% of the daily dietary fibre recommendation.Keywords: Beverages; Fruit and Vegetable Juices; Artificially Sweetened Beverages; Functional Food;Blueberry Plants; Gum Arabic; Dietary Fiber.