EFFECT OF GAMMA RADIATION ON PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF

SPICES

Rukhama Haq, Afifa Gorsi, Neelma Munir and Faiza Saleem

1 Department of Biotechnology, LCWU, Lahore

*Corresponding author e. mail: rukhama87@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Spices are dried seed, fruits, bark and vegetable substances used for flavoring, taste, and coloring

and also more important is as preservative agents. Spices have medicinal and antimicrobial

properties. The samples were studied before and after irradiation. In present research, Spices

(garam masala) were exposed to two different doses of γ-radiation i.e. 3 kGy and 6 kGy. The

quality and nutritional values of spices were analyzed to determine the proximate composition.

At 6 kGy the nutritional value of treated garam masala was considered acceptable, because at

this dose the values of moisture content was 9.1+1.41a,

ash content (81.2+1.30a), fats

(47.2+1.18a), crude fibre (19.00+0.49

b), proteins (11.22+0.04

a) and carbohydrates (69.62+1.7

b)

were quite acceptable. As the gamma radiation has significant effect on the shelf life of spice

powder (garam masala) without effecting its chemical composition. The results were indicative

of the fact that gamma radiation at low doses does not change the nutritional value. It was

observed that protein, carbohydrates as well as fats which are the major nutritional components

of any food did not affect significantly with gamma radiation. It was found that the effective and

optimized doses increase the shelf life of spice powder (garam masala) and also export value in

Pakistan. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between irradiated and non-

irradiated samples.

INTRODUCTION

Spices can be defined as “vegetable products

used for flavoring, seasoning and imparting

aroma in foods”. Spices are grown as trees,

shrubs, perennials, annuals, wild and

cultivated. Many spice plants are usually

considered as having medicinal properties,

and there is therefore some overlap between

(MAPs). Spices can be used in household

and personal hygiene products. They also

contribute to nutrition, can provide

traditional medicinal benefits and can

garnish foods making them them and

Medicinal Aromatic Plants more appetizing

to eat (Matthews, 2011).

Food cannot become radioactive through

exposure to gamma rays from 60Co, 137Cs.

This is a very minor treatment as a radiation

dose of 1 kGy represents the absorption of

only enough energy to increase the

temperature of the product by 0.36°C. In

fact, heating, drying, and cooking may cause

higher nutritional losses. Moreover, certain

carcinogenic aromatic and heterocyclic ring

compounds formed during thermal

processing of food at high temperatures

were not recognized in food after irradiation

(Becker, 1983; Khan, 2010).

Keeping in view the above statement, it is

deduced that different methods of

sterilization are used to remove the all-

microbial contents and also for increasing

their shelf life, radiation sterilization is the

best method for this. In irradiated food

disease, causing microorganisms will be

reduced or eliminated, nutritional value is

essentially unchanged and the most

important is food does not become

radioactive. Irradiation is a safe and

effective technology to keep the food safe

and healthy. Proximate analysis is use to

measurement of moisture, ash, fat content

and also carbohydrates, proteins in the

product.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims of current research are to prove

that radiation increases the shelf life of

spices and as well as export value of

irradiated spices from Pakistan. The

objectives of the present study are to prove

that spices, apart from providing greater

nutrient content, can also be irradiated for

sterilization purposes and to check the

optimized dose of gamma radiation for

preservation of spices.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The moisture test was performed by keeping

the sample in in hot-air oven at 130 °C for 1

hour. The sample was cooled and weighed

(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 934.01,

934.06 or 964.22). for determination of ash,

sample was first be ignited and then placed

in Muffle furnace at 500oC – 550

oC

temperature for 4 to 6 hours till the sample

become ash (AOAC 2005 Official method

No. 923.03, 942.05 or 945.46). Percentage

of fat was calculated gravimetrically by

using soxhlet apparatus in which the

extraction of sample in thimble was carried

out for 6 hours with 500 ml of ethanol

(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 922.06,

925.12, 989.05 or 954.02). Crude fiber test

was performed by digestion of sample with

H2S04 and NaOH (AOAC 2005 Official

method No. 985.29 or 991.43). : Protein in

the sample was determined by Kjeldahl

method. Total protein was calculated by

multiplying the amount of nitrogen with

appropriate factor (6.25) (AOAC 2005

Official method No. 991.20). By difference

the carbohydrate content was determined

(AOAC 2005 Official method No. 979.06 or

985.10). Result and Discussion:

The study was carried out to increase the

shelf life of spices (garam masala) by

treatment with gamma radiation at different

doses. During the present work, it was

observed that protein, carbohydrates as well

as fats which are the major nutritional

components of any food did not affect

significantly with gamma radiation (Arici,

2007).

The effect of gamma radiation on moisture

content of spice powder (garam masala)

indicated that moisture content increased

after the gamma treatment. The increase in

moisture content was found to be dose

dependent. . The moisture content of spices

from 8-9% was reported by Nwinuka

(2005) at 6 kGy. The moisture contents of

spice powder were not significantly affected

by the irradiation and were not dose

dependent (Table 2).

The crude fat content in spice powder was

up to 40-46% investigated by Farkas (1998).

Whereas Karada (2008) reported that fat

content in spices increased from 41-47%

with the increase in the level of gamma

radiation. However, at 6 kGy the fat content

does not show any significant change. As

the radiation dosage increase, there is an

increase in fat content.

Caulfield et al. (2009) reported that gamma

irradiation treatment decreased fiber content.

In their research on the proximate analysis

of spice powder concluded that the dietary

fiber content in spice powder was found up

to 25% and decrease with the increase in

gamma dose. Khattak et al. (2006) also

reported that there were no significant

differences in the fibre content of control

and radiated chickpea at 6 kGy.

Abrar (2009) said that the effect of gamma

radiation on the ash of spices showed that as

the gamma radiation dose was increased the

ash content of spices decreased. Similar

findings were deduced by Arab et al. (2010),

reported that the ash is decreased in

irradiated spice powder (garam masala) at

higher dose and determined the ash content

of spice powder at 6 kGy does not show a

drastic change in ash level.

The results of the present study showed no

significant change in protein content after

radiation. Protein content of spice powder

decreases with the passage of time. By

comparing present work results with

literature the content of protein was found to

be up to 13%. Nawaz (2009) also reported

decrease in protein content at higher dose.

But the level of protein of radiated and non-

radiated does not differ significantly.

Sulochana (2011) reported that the spice

powder of carbohydrates showed the

enhancement of its level with the increase in

gamma dose. As a comparison similar

research was done where carbohydrates in

spice powder (garam masala) ranges from

50% to 60% which does not differ

considerably.

Gamma irradiation is a phytosanitary

treatment applied to food and herbal

materials that improves the hygienic quality

and reduces the losses due to microbial

contamination and insect damage (IAEA,

1992; Farkas, 1998).

Conclusion:

Radiation decontamination of medicinal

plants and spices is a safe and very effective

method. Keeping in view, the high export

prospective of spices and the transport losses

due to infestation, this study was proved

highly significant. From the study it has

been concluded that spice irradiated at 6.0

kGy shows no change on the proximate

composition as well as on the sensory

properties. Therefore, the recommended

dosage for the conservation of spice powder

(garam masala) is 6.0 kGy storage.

Irradiation at 6.0 kGy on spice sample has

no negative effect on the nutritional quality

of food, so irradiation is a promising

technique to enhance the shelf life of spices.

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Table 1: Proximate properties of irradiated and non-irradiated spice:

Parameters Dose (kGy)

0.0 3 6

Moisture 8.6+0.40a 7.3+1.45c 8.2+0.49b

8.8+0.67a 7.2+0.64a 8.5+1.30b

9.0+1.46c 7.1+1.25b 9.1+1.41a

Ash 87+1.38b 90.3+1.53c 89.0+1.48b

87+1.38a 87.1+1.41a 84.6+1.34c

87+1.38a 82.3+1.31ab 81.2+1.30a

Fat 16.5+0.35c 25.0+0.71a 46.2+1.14c

16.8+0.37b 26.4+0.76b 47.0+1.16a

16.9+0.38a 26.7+0.78c 47.2+1.18a

Fibre 25.4+0.74a 19.9+0.56b 18.7+0.43a

25.5+0.76b 20.1+0.59c 18.9+0.45c

25.6+0.77c 20.2+0.61b 19.00+0.49b

Protein 13.40+0.25b 13.21+0.20a 11.88+0.09c

13.19+0.21a 12.89+0.17b 11.53+0.07b

13.00+0.19c 12.76+0.14c 11.22+0.04a

Carbohydrates 50.93+ 1.53a 62.70+1.66c 68.77+1.75a

51.83+1.58c 50.87+1.51a 71.96+1.82c

52.49+1.61b 49.27+1.34b 69.62+1.79b

8.38.48.58.68.78.88.9

99.19.2

Control Optimized Doze

mo

istu

re c

on

ten

t g1

00

g-1

samples

garam masala

86

86.5

87

87.5

88

88.5

89

89.5

control optimized dose

Ash

Co

nte

nt

g10

0g-

1

Samples

garam masala

0

5

10

15

20

25

control optimized dose

Fa

t C

on

ten

t g

100

g-1

Samples

garam masala

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

control optimized dose

fib

re c

on

ten

t g

10

0g

-1

Samples

garam masala

10

10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

14

control optimized dose

Pro

tein

co

nte

nt

g10

0g-

1

Samples

garam masala

46

48

50

52

54

56

58

60

62

control optimized dose

Car

bo

hyd

rate

s g1

00

g-1

Samples

garam masala