Development and Quality Characteristics of Corchorus olitorius Leaves Incorporated Instant Chutney Powders

Corchorus olitorius, is a popular nutrient dense and multipurpose traditional wild green leafy vegetable of Nalgonda district, Telangana state. Due to its short shelf life and the limited harvesting time, processing such as drying techniques permit to preserve and provide it throughout the year. Till date not much research was done to develop value added products with the Corchorus olitorius leaves. Therefore, in the present investigation, a ready-to-use instant chutney powder was developed with the most organoleptically acceptable formulation of 25% Corchorus olitorus leaves powder and physicochemical, nutritional and phytonutrient properties were determined. The developed instant chutney powder found good amount of ash (15.33%), crude fiber (13.04%), protein (19.63%), beta-carotene (82.18μg/100g), total carotenoids (763.1μg/100g), calcium 632.7mg/100g), iron (13.40mg/100g), zinc (2.51mg/100g), copper (1.03mg/100g), manganese (3.83mg/100g) and potassium (757.7mg/100g) compared to control. As green leaves are good source of phytonutrients, incorporation of Corchorus olitorius leaves significantly (p<0.01) improved the total phenol content (28.7%) and total antioxidant capacity (99.09%) of developed chutney powder. The results of the study also found high bioavailable calcium (84.44%) and iron (64.21%) content in the leaf power incorporated chutney powder than the control. The developed product can be readily eaten with rice, idli or dosa, which could serve as a healthy addition to one’s daily diet. The developed instant chutney powder could enhance the utilization of locally available seasonal traditional green leafy vegetables and promote dietary diversification.