Infusion of fructooligosaccharide in Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis) fruit using osmotic treatment and its effect on the antioxidant activity of the fruit

Osmotic dehydration is the most reliable method for the partial removal of water from fruits and vegetables because it is less energy intensive and retains the natural colour, texture and flavour of the food materials. The present work deals with the infusion of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) into Indian gooseberry (amla) fruit. The infusion of FOS was found to increase over a range of temperatures from 30 to 50 °C. The water loss and solid gain during the infusion process were higher at higher temperatures. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity and phenolic as well as flavonoid contents of the FOS osmotic dehydrated samples were also found to be significantly higher as compared to fresh fruits in both in vitro and cell line assays. The present study indicated that the osmotic treatment can be used as a method for the infusion of FOS in solid food matrix such as Indian gooseberry.