An assessment of the preservative potentials of soursop (ANNONAMURICATA) seed oil on plantain and orange juice

Abstract

An assessment of the preservative potentials of seed oil of soursop (ANNONAMURICATA) plant grown in the
tropics of West Africa were studied. The seed oil was extracted via Soxhlet extraction method, matured
unripe plantain (stage one) selected, while juice was extracted from oranges. Unripe plantain sourced
was coated with the extracted oil and orange juice produced was equally treated with 0.3 to 1.5mls of
the extracted oil. Phytochemical component and proximate composition of the seed oil, pH and brix of
coated plantain, and microbial load of orange juice were determined using standard methods. Results
showed antioxidant values to be total soluble phenols (632.91mg/100g), total carotenoid
(344.15µg/100g), concentration of tocopherol (360.0µg/100g), ascorbic acid (0.21mg/100g), flavonoid
(150.45mg/kg), and anthocyanins (0.01%), while the moisture, ash, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber
and carbohydrate contents were: 52.12%, 1.61%, 5.19%, 9.71%, 1.33% and 30.05% respectively.
Microbial load increase of the orange juice was delayed for 3 weeks when compared to control. It has
high value for both the bacteria and fungi counts (2.48 log cfu/g and 1.59 log cfu/g respectively), and
treated, 1.89 log cfu/g and 0.08 log cfu/g respectively. The oil coating delayed ripening and spoilage of
the plantain samples by about 10days.