Development of functional beverage using pineapple juice and Bougainvillea spectabilis flower powder: Effect on the quality and storage stability

In this study, dried Bougainvillea spectabilis flower powder (0.25 g/50 mL to 4 g/50 mL) was used to develop a functional pineapple beverage. The enriched formulations showed enhanced physicochemical and bioactive properties. Titratable acidity ranged from 0.71% to 0.93%, higher than the control sample's 0.71%, indicating increased acidity, with pH values between 3.53 and 3.64. The enriched samples exhibited higher total soluble solids (TSS) compared to the control, reflecting improved compositional density. The bioactive analysis revealed a significant increase in total phenolic content (TPC), ranging from 89.81 mg GAE/mL to 101.83 mg GAE/mL, and total flavonoid content (TFC), rising from 11.77 mg QE/mL in the control to 12.53 mg QE/mL in the highest-enriched sample. Although the enriched formulations initially showed slightly lower antioxidant activity (23.04 ± 0.89%) compared to the control, their antioxidant stability was significantly higher during storage (p<0.05). Sensory evaluation identified significant differences among samples, with the control and low-concentration formulations (T1: 0.25 g and T2: 0.5 g powder) receiving the highest overall acceptability scores of 8.5, 8.3, and 7.9, respectively. However, higher powder concentrations (e.g., T5: 1.25 g) negatively impacted sensory attributes, resulting in lower scores. These findings suggest that incorporating optimized amounts of Bougainvillea spectabilis flower powder enhances the nutritional, functional, and sensory properties of pineapple juice. This highlights its potential as a novel ingredient for functional beverage development, aligning with current nutraceutical trends.