Anti-Nutritional and Nutritional Composition of Zobo (Hibiscus Sabdariffa) Enriched with Pineapple and Orange Juice

Zobo (Roselle), a popular traditional Nigerian beverage, is known for its rich taste and potential health benefits. Recently, there has been growing interest in enhancing the nutritional value of Zobo through the addition of fruit juices. This research aimed to assess the Anti-nutritional and nutritional composition of Zobo enriched with pineapple and orange juice. The results revealed that the incorporation of pineapple and orange juice significantly increased the moisture content as expected of a juice product. Crude fibre and carbohydrates were found to increase as pineapple and orange were added. All anti-nutrient contents were also found to be low in all samples. Notably, saponin concentrations in Zobo samples were found to be 5.70±0.02, 4.81±0.09, 4.09±0.03, 4.38±0.54. The presence of Saponin in food is known to kill protozoa and mollusks, and also act as antifungal and antiviral agents. Furthermore, indicates that the panelists accepted the four samples in all of the attributes except sample D. These findings support the potential of Zobo enriched with pineapple and orange juice as a functional beverage with enhanced nutritional qualities.