Process Optimization of Sea Buckthorn Fruit Powder Effervescent Tablets by Random Centroid Methodology Combined with Fuzzy Mathematical Sensory Evaluation

Solid beverages of effervescent tablets have good taste and portable features and are favored by consumers, but product quality and nutrition cannot meet the need of increasing nutritional requirements. Sea buckthorn fruit has a special flavor and nutrient-rich characteristics, but the related products of effervescent tablets have not been developed. In this paper, different additive contents (sea buckthorn fruit powder, erythritol, disintegrant, maltodextrin, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) were optimized using the random centroid method; the obtained effervescent effect sensory evaluation characteristics (appearance, beverage, appearance, taste, solubility) were used to establish a fuzzy mathematic model for sensory evaluation method of process optimizing; and the nutritional components and characteristics of optimized sea buckthorn powder effervescent tablets were compared to the ones of the commercial product. The results show that the optimal process conditions (47.7% sea buckthorn fruit powder, 1.3% erythritol, 1:1 disintegrant ratio, 2% maltodextrin and 2.9% PVP) were obtained according to the highest fuzzy comprehensive sensory score (87.76). Moreover, the optimized one contains a higher content of vitamin C (50.36 mg/100 g), carotenoids (10.18 mg/100 g), total phenols (11.52 GAE/g), and total flavonoids (28.46 mg RE/100 g), as well as a shorter disintegration time (10 s). The results indicate the RCO, combined with fuzzy mathematical sensory evaluation, is preferably suitable for effervescent tablet process optimization, and the quality indicators met the requirements of the effervescent tablet.