Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, Vol 28 No 1 (2024): 57-67

 

BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER-INFUSED QUINOA STARCH FILM AS A pH INDICATOR FOR SHELLFISH FRESHNESS ASSESSMENT

 

(Filem Kanji Kuinoa yang Diserapkan dengan Bunga Telang sebagai pH Indikator untuk Penilaian Kesegaran Kerang-Kerangan)

 

Siti Nur Syahirah Shaikh Ahmad1, Nur Nabilah Hasanah1, and Mohammad Rashedi Ismail-Fitry1,2*

 

1Department of Food Technology,

Faculty of Food Science and Technology,

Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

2Halal Products Research Institute,

Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: ismailfitry@upm.edu.my

 

 

Received: 15 September 2023; Accepted: 24 December 2023; Published:  28 February 2024

 

 

Abstract

The pH indicator film has been utilised in food packaging to guarantee quality and safety as well as to track the freshness of perishable food in real-time. However, previous studies have concentrated on synthetic dyes, so this study investigated the use of butterfly pea flower (BPF) which contains anthocyanin, a natural pigment that is sensitive to a wide pH range. Quinoa starch (QS) contains 10-21% amylose with a small starch granule size of around 1 µm that allows for easier dispersion, making it a promising material to produce pH indicator films. BPF extract was incorporated into QS matrix films as a pH indicator to monitor the freshness of different types of shellfish (blood cockles and short-necked clams) stored at 4°C. The quinoa starch-fish gelatine-butterfly pea flower extract (QS/F-BPF) films were developed with different concentrations of BPF (5% and 10%), and then their characteristics including physical appearance, colour, thickness, water vapour permeability (WVP), moisture content, and colour responses were evaluated at different pH values (pH 1-12). The addition of different concentrations of BPF to the quinoa-gelatine-based film did not significantly affect the thickness, moisture content, and WVP. Meanwhile, the micrograph of the films showed good surface morphology. The colour and pH of the QS/F-BPF film were examined every two days for six days of storage of shellfish at 4°C, with the colour changing from blue to green with increasing pH on day 6, indicating spoilage. In conclusion, the QS/F-BPF pH indicator film is effective for monitoring the freshness of different types of shellfish stored in chiller conditions.

 

Keywords: butterfly pea flower, quinoa starch, pH indicator, anthocyanin, shellfish

 

Abstrak

Filem penunjuk pH telah digunakan dalam pembungkusan makanan untuk menjamin kualiti dan keselamatan serta untuk mengesan kesegaran makanan mudah rosak dalam masa nyata. Walaubagaimanapun, kajian lepas tertumpu kepada pewarna sintetik, jadi kajian ini menyiasat penggunaan bunga telang (BPF) yang mengandungi antosianin, pigmen semulajadi yang sensitif kepada julat pH yang luas. Kanji kuinoa (QS) mengandungi 10-21% amilosa dengan saiz butiran kanji kecil sekitar 1 µm yang membolehkan penyebaran lebih mudah, menjadikannya bahan yang berpotensi untuk menghasilkan filem penunjuk pH. Ekstrak BPF telah dimasukkan ke dalam matriks filem QS sebagai penunjuk pH untuk memantau kesegaran pelbagai jenis kerrang-kerangan (kerang dan lala kepah) yang disimpan pada suhu 4°C. Filem kanji kuinoa-gelatin ikan-ekstrak bunga telang (QS/F-BPF) telah dihasilkan dengan kepekatan BPF yang berbeza (5% dan 10%), dan kemudian ciri-cirinya termasuk rupa fizikal, warna, ketebalan, kebolehtelapan wap air ( WVP), kandungan lembapan dan tindak balas warna dinilai pada nilai pH yang berbeza (pH 1-12). Penambahan kepekatan BPF yang berbeza kepada filem berasaskan kuinoa-gelatin tidak menjejaskan ketebalan, kandungan lembapan dan WVP dengan ketara. Sementara itu, mikrograf filem menunjukkan morfologi permukaan yang baik. Warna dan pH filem QS/F-BPF diperiksa setiap dua hari selama enam hari penyimpanan kerrang-kerangan pada suhu 4°C, dengan warna berubah daripada biru ke hijau dengan peningkatan pH pada hari ke-6, menunjukkan kerosakan. Kesimpulannya, filem penunjuk pH QS/F-BPF berkesan untuk memantau kesegaran pelbagai jenis kerrang-kerangan yang disimpan dalam keadaan suhu dingin.

 

Kata kunci: bunga telang, kanji kuinoa, pH indikator, antosianin, kerang-kerangan  

 

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