Students create functional foods from the first bitter vegetable in Vietnam

A group of students has created new value for bitter vegetables by building a process of producing bitter vegetable powder to become a functional food for human health.

This is considered the first study in Vietnam about bitter vegetables in the exploitation of triterpen saponin compounds in this plant.

Find new values ​​for bitter vegetables

The group of students 'opening up' for new value of bitter vegetables is Nguyen Thi Thu Thao, Truong Trong Nguyen, Phung Thi Ngoc Huyen, Nguyen Thi Huong Lan - together with students of HCM City Food Industry University.

The group of students at HCMC University of Food Industry has found new value for bitter vegetables.(Photo: NVCC).

Nguyen Thi Thu Thao, Team Leader, shared bitter vegetables as a very popular food in many Vietnamese families' meals. But this vegetable is now mainly used as a mere food, not yet exploited other aspects. Accidentally, reading foreign articles, the group discovered triterpen saponin compounds in bitter vegetables.

Thao added, the scientists' study showed that triterpen saponin compounds in bitter vegetables include bacoside A (1.54-2%) and Bacoside B (0.65-1%). These are very good substances for human health. Compound triterpen saponin has important pharmacological effects such as improving brain function, enhancing memory, antioxidant.

'Many scientific research projects in the world, especially in India and China, have proven in bitter vegetable materials containing biological compounds triterpen saponin and good pharmacological properties' - Thao affirmed determined.

Meanwhile, in Vietnam there is currently no research on this compound in bitter vegetables and application of bitter vegetables in food technology. Most bitter vegetables are used as boiled, hot pot, porridge. So from there, the group decided to exploit the compound triterpen saponi into bitter vegetable powder.

Favorite vegetable powder

Using the knowledge gained during the learning process, the team created a process for producing bitter vegetable powder containing compound triterpen saponi. Fresh bitter vegetables are processed samples (including: wash impurities, cut, puree, homogenize, freeze). Bitter vegetables continue to be extracted under optimized conditions to obtain the best tritrerpen sapnin content. Products continue to be concentrated, spray dried to form finished products.

After spray drying, the group packed the vegetable powder by vacuum aspiration. The vacuum process will prevent moisture from entering and retain the biological compounds of bitter vegetables for a long time.

Products of bitter vegetable powder are packed and waiting to be commercialized.(Photo: NVCC).

Phung Thi Ngoc Huyen, a member of the sharing group, said that after the use of all products, the bitterness of the vegetables has decreased, the sweetness and the aroma are characteristic.

'In the coming time, the group will continue to study the mixing ratio between spray-dried powder and other ingredients to diversify bitter vegetable powder, and monitor the change in product quality according to the preservation time. Creating powder products appeals to consumers more. In addition, the group will apply sublimation drying method to produce functional foods, commercialize products' - Huyen shared.

Master Hoang Thi Truc Quynh, lecturer of Ho Chi Minh City University of Food Industry, evaluated products with practicality and high meaning. Bitter vegetable powder resolves farmers 'output, creating a new product that benefits consumers' health.

'The advantage of the group is that in Vietnam, there is no product exploited from bitter vegetables applied in food technology, functional food .' - Mr. Quynh said.

This scientific topic won the first prize in the field of food technology, Euréka Student Science Research Award in 2018.