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: [email protected]
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