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Palmyrah sweet sap, obtained from the inflorescence of the Borassus flabellifer L. palm tree, is a popular natural drink in Sri Lanka, available seasonally from January to August. It contains a blend of water, sugars, and essential vitamins and minerals. The sweet sap is processed thermally to produce sugary products like crude sugar, jaggery, and treacle. It is crucial to analyze them to ensure their nutritional value, due to the possibility of vitamin decomposition during the production stage. This study aimed to quantify the existing vitamins in sweet sap and its derived products using validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC method validation parameters, such as linearity, accuracy, precision, range, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), were determined. The results showed that the derived products from palmyrah sap had high concentrations of vitamins, with thiamine ranging from 2.81 to 35.16 mg/100g, niacin from 4.35 to 45.03 mg/100g, pyridoxine from 4.44 to 87.16 mg/100g, and ascorbic acid from 5.42 to 52.52 mg/100g. The accuracy of the HPLC method for vitamin analysis was between 98.43 and 100.64%, with a limit of detection ranging from 0.357 to 1.152 ppm and a limit of quantification from 1.081 to 13.573 ppm. The study successfully quantified the existing vitamins in the sap and its derived products, with overall results indicating that the vitamins were retained even after thermal processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different milk fat (MF, 0%, 1.5%, 3.3% (w/w)) or added sugar (AS, 0%, 3.5%, 7% (w/w)) levels on the sensory properties and consumer acceptability of probiotic set yogurts fermented by Streptococcus thermophilus , Bifidobacterium bifidum , and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus . The experimental yoghurt samples were compared with a control containing AS, 7% and MF, 3.3%. A quantitative descriptive analysis was conducted using 12 semi-trained panelists to evaluate the sensory profile of yogurts by rating the intensity of sensory descriptors on a 10 unit scale. Consumer preferences was determined using a group untrained individuals (n = 31) by applying the hedonic test for preference. Sensory mapping and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were conducted to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the consumer behavior. Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) was conducted to compare the sensory profiling, consumer preference and instrumental data. Descriptive data showed significant differences (p < 0.05) among the samples for 8 of the 15 attributes amalyzed, including flavor and texture parameters. PCA showed that more than 80% of consumers highly preferred the low-fat yogurt, basically due to its firmness. Overall, consumer preference decreases with the AS reduction. The sample containing zero sugar is the least preferred sample. The reduction of added sugar below 3.5% is a challenge in terms of retaining product quality., (© 2020 The Author(s).)